Exile
by hbwgonnabe
Summary: Finished! What does a fight with brother and friends and a new kid at school have in common with the past?
1. Default Chapter

"I'm up. I'm up," mumbled, seventeen-year-old, blond-headed, Joe Hardy, crawling out of bed. 

"Get a move on, Joe," demanded his, year older, brown-headed, brother Frank. "We're going to be late for school."

"And that's bad because?" Joe grumbled, standing up and stretching his six foot frame.

"Joe!" Frank exclaimed, his soulful brown eyes wide in exasperation as he looked at his inch shorter brother.

"I'm kidding!" Joe said defensively, holding his hands palms out, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Frank shook his head with a sigh. It was the same thing every school morning. He grabbed his backpack and went downstairs, stopping in the kitchen for another glass of orange juice.

Petite, blond-headed, blue-eyed, Laura Hardy smiled at her eldest son. "Ten minutes?" she asked.

"Of course," Frank replied, handing his mom his now empty glass and opening a cabinet. He took out a pack of blueberry pop tarts and laid them on the table. As late as Joe liked to sleep in, it was a good thing he liked cold pop tarts.

A few minutes later, Joe's footsteps could be heard bounding down the steps. He came into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower. "Ready," he said, grinning at Frank as he picked up the pack of pop tarts from the table.

"Have a good day at school," Mrs. Hardy said, smiling fondly at her two sons.

"Always," Frank said, kissing her left cheek before leaving. Joe shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother's back before kissing his mom's right cheek and following Frank to the van.

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"Over here!" someone shouted as Frank and Joe got out of the van in the school's parking lot. Frank looked over and smiled at blond-headed, green-eyed, seventeen year old Callie Shaw. He and Callie had been dating steadily for almost two years now. Frank glanced at his brother when he saw who was with Callie.

Also seventeen with blond hair, brown-eyed Vanessa Bender had moved to Bayport only a few months ago but she and Joe were already an item. Joe grinned broadly as he and Frank approached the girls. "Hey, Babe," Joe said, giving Vanessa a quick kiss.

"Hey, yourself," she murmured, smiling into his blue eyes.

"Ready for our test?" Callie asked Joe as the four climbed the steps and entered the school. She and Joe had history for first period.

"What test?" demanded Joe, coming to a halt and looking hard at her.

"We have an exam on the Battle of Bunker Hill today," Callie reminded him. "Harmon told us at the end of class on Friday."

"Oh no!" moaned Joe. "I guess I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even crack my book."

"Ah, Joe!" Frank groaned.

"Well, it's too late to worry about it now," Vanessa said. "Just do your best."

"Yeah," Joe replied, frowning. "Too bad Harmon doesn't give out an answer sheet with the test."

The teens separated in the hall, each to go to his, or her, own homeroom. Joe's was down the hall on the right while the others made a left turn to go to their's. "Excuse me?" a soft feminine voice asked from behind Joe after the others had departed.

Joe spun around, smiling brightly when he saw the blond-headed girl in front of him. "Hi," he greeted here. "I don't recall having seen you around here before."

"This is my first day," she admitted. "My name is Jeanine Douglas." She held out her hand.

"Joe Hardy," Joe said, taking her hand and looking into her brown eyes. "Welcome to Bayport High."

"Thank you," she replied, looking up into his blue eyes. "I seem to be lost," she continued. "I have Sara Thompson for homeroom but the number for her room is missing from my schedule. Matter of fact," she continued a bit wistfully, "all the numbers are missing."

"Don't worry about it," Joe said, putting a hand on her arm comfortingly. "Ms. Thompson is my homeroom teacher too. Just come with me and I'll help you figure out the rest of your schedule after we take our seats."

"Would you?" Jeanine asked brightly. "Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure," Joe assured her. They reached Ms. Thompson's classroom and went inside. Jeanine took the seat beside Joe and pulled out her schedule and handed it to him.

"Looks like the printer was misaligned and snapped the room numbers off," Joe said, looking at her schedule. "This is weird," he added a moment later. "You've got the same schedule as me."

"You're kidding," she said, laughing. "All of them?" Joe nodded. "That's wild."

"And fortunate," added Joe. "Now you can just hang around with me all day."

"You don't mind?" she asked a bit timidly.

"Of course not," he assured her. "Although, by the day's end, you may be running for cover."

"From you? I doubt it," she responded. "You're very kind."

Ms. Thompson walked into the room and all talking ceased as she took roll. Soon, the bell rang announcing the end of homeroom and Joe and Jeanine made their way to Harmon's history class.

"Harmon is giving us a test on the Battle of Bunker Hill today," Joe informed Jeanine. "You probably won't have to take it since this is your first day."

"I don't mind," Jeanine said. "History is one of my best subjects and I already know all about the topic."

"Wish I did," Joe said ruefully. "I didn't study."

"Would you like for me to tell you about it?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"Definitely," Joe asserted with enthusiasm. "Any grade would be better than a total zero."

Jeanine laughed and told him about the battle as they entered the class room and took their seats. Callie arrived a minute later and saw Joe listening to what the new girl in school was saying. She frowned, thinking Joe should have been trying to study.

The bell rang and the test began. Forty-five minutes later, the papers were turned in and Harmon was telling them their next assignment. The bell rang and Joe stood up and grinned down at Jeanine. "Thanks," he said, his blue eyes sparkling. "You must be psychic. Almost everything you mentioned was on the exam."

"You passed then?" she asked, smiling back at him.

"I'd say that was a definite possibility," he concurred. "Thanks."

"Glad to be of service," she replied with a faux curtsey. "Where to next?"

"English," Joe said, taking her arm and leading her out the door and down the hall while Callie watched the two of them, a frown still on her face.

"Joe!" a voice shouted as they neared Treadway's English class. Joe turned and saw blond, beefy, Biff Hooper, coming toward them.

"Hey, how was the fishing?" Joe asked, referring to the fishing trip his seventeen-year-old pal had taken with his dad over the weekend.

"Not bad," Biff answered his gaze straying from Joe to land on Jeanine.

"Jeanine Douglas, I would like you to meet my best friend and one of Bayport's best football players, Biff Hooper," Joe introduced the two.

"Pleased to meet you," Jeanine said, smiling at the handsome youth.

"So, how did Joe get so lucky?" Biff asked her.

"What do you mean?" Jeanine asked in confusion.

"How did he get lucky enough to escort you to class?" Biff clarified, obviously flirting with her.

"We have the same classes and Joe graciously offered to show me around today," she explained.

"Lucky dog," Biff growled at Joe. Joe grinned in response as the three of them entered the classroom. "Would you like to go to Mr. Pizza after school?" Biff asked Jeanine. "We usually gather there before going home and hitting the books."

"I can't," Jeanine refused. "I have to ride the bus home."

"I'll take you home afterward," Biff promised.

"In that case, I would love too," she agreed.

After English, Joe and Jeanine left Biff and went to their Spanish class. That over, they went to the cafeteria. "This way," Joe directed after they had gotten their trays. "I'll introduce you to the rest of my friends."

They went over to a long table occupied by several people and set their trays down. "Everyone!" Joe said loudly although he and Jeanine already had their attention. "I would like you all to meet Jeanine Douglas. Jeanine, this beautiful blond is my girlfriend, Vanessa Bender."

"Hi, Jeanine," Vanessa said, smiling welcomingly at her.

"And beside her is Callie Shaw, and my brother Frank." Jeanine smiled at them then turned her gaze to a plump blond headed boy with brown eyes who sat between a dark haired youth with brown eyes and a sandy haired boy with wire-framed glasses. "The guy here who can't seem to stop eating is Chet Morton, and to his left is Tony Prito and Phil Cohen on Chet's right," Joe finished the introductions.

"Welcome to Bayport," Frank said, smiling at the girl.

"Thank you," Jeanine replied, sitting down as Biff arrived at the table. He sat down beside her. "Everyone has been so nice," she added.

"Mmm," murmured Joe to Vanessa as he sat down. "Especially Biff." Jeanine, overhearing, blushed and glanced at Biff before giving her attention to her lunch.


	2. Chapter Two

The teens all met at Mr. Pizza that afternoon and kept up a spirited conversation. "Okay, let me get this straight," Jeanine said. "Biff, Joe and Chet play football. Joe and Frank are on the track team and Tony and Joe are on the swim team." 

"Right," Callie congratulated her. "And Frank, Joe, Chet, and Tony are all on the baseball team."

"Wow!" Jeanine said, looking at Joe. "You play all the sports at Bayport High."

"Except soccer," Joe agreed. "Biff and I are also on the wrestling team."

"Phil, do you play in any sport?" Jeanine asked.

"Basketball," he answered, grinning at Joe. "With Joe and Frank."

"Oh man," Jeanine said, shaking her head. "So many athletes. Maybe I should try out for cheerleading."

"No! Please?" begged Callie.

"Definitely not," agreed Vanessa. "They're a bunch of airheads."

"I think it would be great," Joe cut in, frowning in displeasure at Callie and Vanessa as he thought about Chet's sister, Iola, who had died almost a year previously. Iola had not only been a cheerleader, but also Joe's girlfriend.

"Yeah," Chet agreed. "It would be great to have a cheerleader in the group again."

It wasn't too long after this discussion that Frank announced it was time to head home. "So soon?" inquired Jeanine, looking at her watch in disappointment. "Oh my, it is getting late," she added, noticing almost two hours had passed since they had arrived.

Biff stood up and smiled down at Jeanine. "Where do you live?" he asked.

"Willow Drive," she replied.

"You're close to Frank and Joe, then," Callie said. "They can drop you off at home."

"No, no," Biff quickly interjected. "I promised to take you home and I will," he insisted, smiling down into Jeanine's eyes.

Jeanine blushed as Biff sat back down. "If you'll excuse me, I need to visit the ladies' room," she rose and excused herself.

"She seems nice," Vanessa commented as they exited the building.

"Yeah," Callie agreed. "Now if Joe will just stop talking to her when he should be studying."

"What do you mean?" Frank asked, casting a frown at Joe before looking at Callie.

"Before history this morning, Joe was talking to Jeanine," Callie explained. "And since he hadn't studied all weekend, he should have been trying to study for the test."

"When did you turn into my mother?" demanded Joe angrily.

"Joe," Frank looked at his younger brother pointedly. "Callie's right. You should have been studying."

"I aced it," Joe assured him. "Stop hassling me."

"How?" Frank demanded. "History is your worst subject anyway."

"I cheated," snapped Joe, taking Vanessa's elbow and stalking away. Joe practically ran out the door and to Vanessa's Explorer, his grip firm. Fortunately, Vanessa was almost as tall as Joe and easily kept up with his pace.

"You cheated?" inquired Vanessa, crossing her arms and staring at Joe after they had reached her car and Joe released her.

"No, of course not," denied Joe. "Jeanine was telling me about the battle and almost everything she told me was on the exam," he explained.

"That was lucky," Vanessa said with a laugh.

"Wasn't it though?" Joe asked, smiling sheepishly at her. "Give me a lift home?" he begged, not wanting to walk home.

"Mmm, I'll think about it," she replied, looking at him through her lush lashes.

Joe grinned and touched his lips to hers. "Please?" he whispered, kissing her with more force.

"Since you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?" Vanessa said after Joe had pulled away. "Why did you get so mad at Callie?" she asked after they were on their way.

"She's too bossy," Joe replied despairingly. "She's gotten to where she is always telling Frank what she thinks I should be doing."

"Frank does that," Vanessa observed.

"Frank's my brother," Joe pointed out.

"So...Callie's treating you like her little brother."

"But I'm not. And I don't ever want to be," Joe stated firmly.

"I thought Frank was in love with Callie," Vanessa said with a little frown.

"He is," Joe admitted sourly. "But that doesn't mean I have to like her," he added, scowling.

"You used to," Vanessa reminded him. "Why are you so down on her lately?" Joe shrugged his shoulders but made no answer. "Frank and Callie are graduating this year," she added. Joe looked out the window, ignoring her. "Are you going to act this way until they go to college?" she demanded, getting tired of Joe's attitude.

"Frank's planning on asking Callie to marry him," Joe said quietly.

"And you're jealous," observed Vanessa.

"That's not it," denied Joe.

"No?" Vanessa asked, glancing over at him with one eyebrow raised. "Then why don't you want Frank to marry her?'

"She's not right for him," Joe replied. "She's too interfering."

"What do you mean?" demanded Vanessa.

"She keeps butting in on our cases," was Joe's reply. He continued, unaware of the hardening of his girlfriend's features. "If we have a mystery to solve, she thinks she should know all about it. And if there is leg work involved, she wants to be involved."

"I see," Vanessa said, her icy tone sending a chill down Joe's back. "Mysteries are exclusively yours and Frank's territory. You want no interference or help from anyone."

"N..no," Joe stuttered, realizing what his tirade had sounded like. "No," he repeated, more forcefully, scowling again. "I am jealous, aren't I?" he asked and shook his head. "I guess I owe Callie an apology. She can't help it if Frank pays more attention to her than me anymore."

Releasing her anger as quickly as it had come, Vanessa took Joe's hand in her own. "Just because Frank loves Callie doesn't mean he loves you any less," she assured him. "Just accept her place in his life and things will go back to the way they used to be."

"Except that I'll have one more person who thinks they have the right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do," Joe said miserably.

"Talk to her," Vanessa suggested.

"I can't," Joe told her. "Frank hasn't asked her yet and I would probably say something I shouldn't."

Vanessa gave Joe a sympathetic smile as she pulled to a stop in front of the Hardy home. "Try not to be too rough on her?" she begged. "Callie only says anything because she is concerned about you."

"I know," Joe admitted. "But I still wish she would mind her own business." Joe kissed Vanessa goodnight and got out of the car.

"Frank? Joe?" asked a deep voice as Joe entered the house.

"Just me, dad," Joe said, going into the living room.

"Where's your brother?" asked the tall, lean brown haired man whose features strongly resembled those of his eldest son.

"He's dropping Callie off," Joe told him. "Vanessa brought me home." Joe went further into the living room and stood by the chair his father occupied. "Is something up?"

"No," denied Fenton Hardy with a shake of his head. "It's been a quiet evening. Actually, it's been a quiet week," he amended, frowning a little.

"Isn't quiet good?" Joe asked, seeing the frown.

"Usually," agreed Fenton. As a former member of the NYPD who had resigned when his sons were toddlers to become a private investigator, Fenton was used to both the quiet times in investigating and the times when it seemed one criminal mastermind was trying to oust another. At this point, however, he had the uneasy feeling that this was a quiet just ahead of a storm.


	3. Chapter Three

"What's wrong?" insisted Joe, tuning in to the feeling behind his father's words. 

"Nothing," Fenton said, smiling wanly up at his youngest son. "I'm a little edgy." Joe's face masked his concern but before he could speak, his father continued. "Perhaps it's time for a vacation."

"It has been awhile since you and mom took a trip," Joe said thoughtfully. "A cruise would be relaxing."

"If only Gertrude were here," Fenton agreed.

"Dad, Frank and I are old enough to take care of ourselves," Joe pointed out. "You and mom let us go places without adult supervision all the time, so why the hang up about leaving us at home?"

"You're right, we do let you go off by yourselves," Fenton concurred. "But when you're at home, your defences aren't as sharp," he explained. "Home is a safe place and you aren't constantly on the lookout for something lethal to crop up."

"Dad," Joe said, shaking his head sadly. "Of course we aren't constantly on our guard here. You're here, most of the time, and we have one of the best private security systems in the country," he pointed out. "We only let our guard down when we know we can." Joe grinned. "Besides, it isn't like we haven't had trouble find us here."

"Exactly!" asserted his father, trying to get back into the conversation but Joe would not allow it.

"We can be extra careful," Joe continued as if his father hadn't spoken. "We'll keep the alarm on when we're at home and stay around town and keep together. Besides, it's Monday. We've got four more days of school this week before we would even get a chance to get involved in anything time consuming. So," Joe concluded, "that's less than forty actual hours you would have to worry about us over the next four days."

"Mmm, he does have a point," Laura said. She had arrived in time to hear Fenton's interjection and Joe's subsequent logic. "Gertrude is due in Saturday afternoon and the boys are almost men," she added, a nostalgic sigh escaping with her words.

"All right," Fenton agreed, standing up. "I'll go see if there are any last minute cancellations."

"For?" Laura asked, lifting an eyebrow in question, a feature which reminded Joe of Frank.

"For anything we can get," Fenton replied, leaving the room.

"You go pack," Joe told his mother.

"But dinner..." she objected.

"I'll fix something while you get ready," Joe told her, heading into the kitchen.

Frank came through the kitchen door as Joe was chopping some peppers. "You're cooking?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Joe filled him in on their parents plans. "Joe, about earlier..." Frank began but Joe cut him off.

"I'm sorry," apologized Joe. "I over-reacted."

"But why?" Frank wanted to know.

"Because Callie doesn't have the right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do," Joe said, his eyes reflecting the resentment he still harbored at her interference.

"She was just saying you should have been studying," Frank pointed out.

"What business is it of hers?" demanded Joe.

"She cares about you," Frank stated, frowning.

"She isn't my mother," Joe argued.

"Come on, Joe," Frank said. "I get on to you all of the time about your studying."

"But you're my brother," retorted Joe.

"And she's going to be my wife," Frank ground out. At Joe's stricken look, Frank took a step closer to Joe and put an arm around his shoulders. "That's the problem, isn't it?" he asked.

Joe shrugged, looking dejected. "Joe, she's not replacing you."

"It seems that way," Joe replied softly, laying the knife down, gathering the veggies and putting them into the wok.

"Ah, Joe," Frank pleaded for understanding. "You're my brother and my best friend. That will never change."

"It already has," Joe said sadly, blue eyes meeting brown. "I used to be your partner too."

"Joe, I..." Frank began but Joe shook his head.

"Not now," Joe begged. "Dad really needs a vacation and if he thinks we're having problems, he and mom won't be going."

Realizing Joe was right, Frank took some plates and began setting the table. He didn't want to leave it like this but short of ruining his parent's vacation, what choice did he have? He and Joe were going to have a long, serious heart-to-heart before the night was over, he vowed silently.

Joe sent Frank to fetch their parents when dinner was ready and Fenton told them about their forthcoming trip. "I got tickets to Florida," he said. "We need to leave for the airport by eight. The flight leaves at nine. We'll spend the night at the Sheraton and board our ship for a ten day cruise at ten the next morning."

"You two will have a blast," Frank said, smiling at his parents.

"I wish you boys could go with us," Laura said.

"But we can't," Frank said. "We have to go to school. We can go with you two somewhere over spring break, maybe."

"Camping," Joe put in.

Laura smiled and Fenton grinned. "It's a date," Fenton agreed. They quickly finished dinner then Fenton and Frank ran upstairs to retrieve the luggage while Joe pulled the car from the garage and Laura made a list of of things that had to be done in her absence.

After the boys returned from the airport, Frank volunteered to do the dishes so Joe could do his homework. Joe made a face but duitfully grabbed his backpack and headed upstairs to his room, leaving Frank to check the doors and windows and turn on the alarm.

It was almost eleven when Frank, who had finished the dishes and completed his own homework, entered Joe's bedroom. He didn't want Joe going to bed with the misconception he could be replaced by anyone in any way.

Joe looked up from the book he was reading as Frank entered. "Joe, we need to talk," Frank said, sitting down at the foot of his bed.

"Can't it wait?" asked Joe, holding his book up for Frank to see. "I've got to have this read and a book report done by Thursday."

"The book can wait," Frank told him. "Some things are more important than homework."

Joe lifted a disbelieving eyebrow at this. He never thought those words would come out of his brother's mouth.

"Joe, about Callie," Frank began.

"About Callie," repeated Joe. "Frank, I know you love her and I will always be your brother but once you get married, Callie will be your partner. She's already your best friend."

"That's not true!" denied Frank heatedly.

"When you won the scholarship to Harvard who did you tell first?" Joe asked.

"Callie," Frank answered, his features changing as he began to frown, wondering what Joe was getting at.

"And when you got your SAT scores back, who did you tell first?" Joe queired.

"Callie."

"When you dented Mom's car last month, who did you..." Joe began.

"Callie," Frank answered before he had finished, standing up. "What are you getting at?"

"These are the kind of things you tell your best friend first," Joe said. "Don't get me wrong," he continued, holding up a hand as Frank was about to interrupt. "Since you are going to marry her, you should turn to her first. I can handle that. What I can't stand is her trying to take your place in my life."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Frank, totally confused.

"You're my brother, not Callie," Joe explained. "You have the right to yell at me. But you two aren't even engaged and she's already trying to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. Heck, you don't even pick on me as much as she does."

"Joe, she just doesn't want you to have to repeat a course," Frank excused Callie's attitude.

"For crying out loud," Joe complained. "I'm not about to have to repeat history. I do have a C average and I wasn't goofing off this morning either."

"Then what were you doing talking with Jeanine before class instead of studying?" Frank demanded.

"I was...never mind!" Joe ended, deciding that since Frank obvioulsy believed Callie and not him, he wasn't about to explain. "Just go away," Joe ordered, picking up his book and ignoring Frank.

Frank watched Joe silently for a minute then left the room. The next morning when Frank went to awaken Joe for school, he found Joe already gone.

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Joe arrived at school feeling miserable. He hadn't slept much. Instead, he had replayed the scene in his bedroom with Frank and the one with Vanessa over and over in his mind. No matter how hard he tried to justify his anger, he couldn't. When the first rays of light had crept into his room, he had crawled out of bed and gotten ready for school. Grabbing a pop tart for breakfast, he left for school on his motorbike.

Talking to Frank or Vanessa wasn't going to solve his problem. He had to go to the source...Callie. He would just have to be careful what he said. He parked his bike and headed toward the entrance looking for Callie. Not seeing her, he entered the building. It was possible she hadn't arrived yet, but she was usually early and he was hoping today would be no exception. Inside, he spied her at her locker, unloading her backpack.

"Callie," Joe said, walking up to her. "We need to talk."

"Why, Joe!" she replied, putting a hand to her heart. "This is so sudden," she teased. When his expression remained serious, she nodded, shut her locker and zipped her backpack.

They went into an empty classroom and Joe shut the door behind them. "What did you want to talk about?" Callie asked, leaning against the teacher's desk and looking him in the eyes.

"Us," Joe replied. "More specifically, our, er, evolving relationship."

"Joe," she said warily. "I have a relationship with your brother. Not you."

"Exactly," Joe affirmed. "But you're developing this big sister attitude."

"I am not!" she declared hotly, her eyes flashing. "I...I..." she stopped and gave a self-conscious laugh. "I guess I have at that," she admitted. "No wonder you got mad at me yesterday," she continued. "I've been coming across pretty badly, haven't I?'

"For the most part," agreed Joe. "Look, it's not that I don't appreciate your concern, it's just..."

"Just that it's Frank's job as your big brother to keep an eye on you, not mine," Callie finished for him. "I'm sorry. I just hate to see Frank worry."

"Then don't tell him," Joe said.

"What?" Callie asked, confused.

"Look, I'm not complaining about you thinking about me. Heck, it's nice to have people care about me," he added, running a hand through his blond hair as Frank did so often. "The part I don't like is that instead of coming to me with any problems you have with me, you go directly to Frank."

"I'm sorry," Callie apologized. "I just hate to see Frank worry. I thought if I told him you needed help, he might realize there are other people watching out for you too and he wouldn't have to worry so much."

"I know Frank worries a lot about me," Joe said. "It isn't necessary, but he does it anyway. He always has."

"And he always will," Callie admitted. "No matter what anyone else says or does." She shook her head. "You're right. My telling him isn't helping him, or you, or me. I'm sorry," she said again. "From now on, I promise if I have a problem or concern about you, I will come to you."

"Really?" Joe asked, searching her face.

"Really," she promised, looking sad.

Feeling sorry for her, Joe decided to be honest. "There's another reason I have been so down on your interfering."

"Oh?" she asked warily.

"I'm jealous," he confessed.

"What?" Callie gasped. "How? Why?"

Joe shrugged. "A lot of the things you and Frank do together now, he and I used to do. I felt like you were pushing me out of his life."

"Aw, Joe!" Callie exclaimed. "You should know I would never do that. And if I even tried, Frank would dump me like a piece of hot coal. He loves you."

"I know. He loves you too. You know what this means, don't you?" he asked, a mischievious twinkle in his eye.

"What?" she asked, smiling.

"We are going to have to learn to share," Joe said.

"I'm willing to try," Callie agreed with a laugh.

"Fair enough," Joe said, giving her a hug.

"You know, I love you too," Callie said as the classroom door opened.

"Ditto," replied a smiling Joe as a gasp sounded from the doorway.


	4. Chapter Four

"I am sorry to say that only one person in this class made a hundred and she chose to take the exam by her own voilition," Mr. Harmon said walking into the classroom and turning to stare at the group of students. "Every one else made at or above an eight-five."

"But that's good," Andrew Parks said from the front row. "Why do you look so glum?"

"Because someone broke into the trunk of my car the night before last, opened my briefcase and copied the answers to the exam," Harmon explained. "There was a carbon sheet beneath the test. The marks where the answers were copied showed clearly." He paused and looked around the room, his eyes lighting on three of his students who generally had the most problems. "I had hoped that one student would stand out on his...or her...grade and I could recognize the culprit. But since the only perfect score was by the new student, that didn't pan out. So, I am throwing away all the scores for this exam and unless the guilty party comes forward, there will be a new exam on Monday morning."

There was a lot of grumbling but Harmon demanded the students quieten down and then class began. Joe caught Callie glance back at him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Ms. Shaw," Harmon said, catching her not paying attention. "Perhaps you could share with the class what is so interesting in the back of the room?"

"Er, nothing, Mr. Harmon," Callie replied, blushing as she turned to face forward once again.

By lunch time, news of the pilfered answers had leaked over the entire school. When Joe entered the cafeteria and took his seat beside Frank, everyone went silent. "What?" he demanded, looking around.

Tony, Phil, and Chet kept quiet and seemed to be paying apt attention to their plates. Biff looked at Joe. "Isn't Jeanine coming?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Joe replied. "She said she had to do something during lunch."

"Joe," Chet spoke up. "Did you, er..." he stopped, unsure how to continue.

"Did I what?" Joe demanded, his eyes narrowing on Chet.

"Did you get the answers to the history exam?" Phil asked flat out, looking Joe straight in the eyes.

"What?" Joe whispered, shocked his friends would think him capable of doing such a thing.

"That's crazy!" Frank exclaimed in Joe's defense. "Joe would never do something like that."

"He said he did," Tony reminded him. "Yestrerday."

"He was mad," Callie defended Joe. "He would never cheat."

"Nor would he break into someone's car!" Vanessa declared hotly.

Joe felt some better that Frank, Vanessa and Callie were sticking up for him but the fact that his other friends thought him capable of breaking and entering and cheating wounded him. He sat quietly trying to deal with what he was perceiving as his friends betrayal.

"Joe?" Chet asked, ignoring the others' eruptions. "Did you?"

Joe straightened his shoulders. "What do you think?" he demanded, staring his oldest and dearest friend in the eyes. Chet lowered his eyes first. "I see," he said, his voice low. He stood up and picked up his tray.

"Joe," Vanessa said, looking up at him questioningly.

"I've lost my appetite," Joe stated, then left the table. After dropping off his tray, he left the cafeteria.

"How could you guys?" Callie demanded. "You know Joe would never do that."

"We heard him..." Tony began.

"You know how Joe is when he is mad," Callie insisted. "He said that to get back at me yesterday. He would never do anything like that."

"I thought you and Joe weren't getting along so well," Phil observed. Frank's eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Callie, silently agreeing with him. "So why are you sticking up for him so much? Looks like that would be Frank's job."

"You're right," Callie agreed, looking over at Frank. "Why aren't you sticking up for Joe?" she demanded.

"I don't need too," he admitted. "You're doing just fine."

"If you'll excuse me," Vanessa said, standing up and picking up her own tray. "I don't seem to be hungry either." She left and went in search of Joe.

Vanessa found Joe outside on the front steps. She sat down beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm.

"Yeah," Joe replied, a frown on his face. "I just can't believe they thought I would do that," he added, shaking his head. "I think maybe there is only one way to prove to them I didn't do it."

"You don't have to prove anything," Vanessa told him.

"Apparently, I do," Joe corrected her. "If it were just anyone, it wouldn't matter. But these guys are my best friends."

"Which is why they shouldn't doubt you," Vanessa insisted.

"But they do," Joe responded dejectedly. He stood up. "I'm going to find out who broke into Harmon's car and copied the answers."

"I'll help," she offered, standing up too.

"Thanks, babe," Joe said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss. "But this is something I have to do."

"I understand," she said. "Good luck."

Joe smiled at her as he climbed the steps and went back into the building.

Joe knocked on Mr. Harmon's door a few minutes later. "Come in," he shouted.

Joe entered the office and went to stand in front of his desk. "Mr. Harmon, I would like to try and find out who broke into your trunk and copied the answers," Joe said.

Harmon looked up at Joe and smiled. "I was wondering when you would get around to that," he said. "An unsolved mystery around a Hardy is unheard of." Joe smiled. "However, I'm afraid that it won't be possible."

"Why not?" Joe demanded, his blue eyes narrowed on his teacher.

"I called the police when I discovered the break-in. They found no prints anywhere. As for the carbon, I didn't discover it until after the police had finished their inspection and departed. Thinking they could find nothing but words from the carbon, I disposed of it. So you see," Harmon replied, shrugging his shoulders. "There is no longer any evidence."

"Great," Joe mumbled.

"Do you mind if I ask why it seems so important to you to find the person responsible?" Harmon quiered. "You appear to be taking this personally."

Joe explained about his quarrel with Callie the previous evening resulting in his silly remark about cheating. "And now my friends think I am the one who did the deed, so to speak," he ended.

"Joe, your friends may be suspicious now, but they know you, as do I. It just isn't morally possible for you to do something like that. They will realize it and be sorry," Harmon comforted him.

"What makes you so sure I wasn't the one who did it?" Joe demanded.

Harmon smiled. "The door is near the back of the room. I heard Jeanine telling you about the battle before I entered. You are a good student and I think you could do better but with your, er, extra-curricular activities, shall we say, I understand why you don't devote as much of your time to your studies as I would prefer you did."

"Thank you, Mr. Harmon," Joe replied, smiling appreciatively at the man. "That means a lot."

"Don't mention it," Harmon replied. "Now, I think perhaps you had better go get ready for your next class. The bell is about to ring."

After school, all the teens gathered at Mr. Pizza's, as usual. "Did you find out anything?" Vanessa whispered as Joe took the seat beside her.

"No," Joe replied with a scowl and told her about his conversation with Mr. Harmon.

"See, people do believe in you," she told him smartly, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, but why can't these people believe in me?" he asked, indicating his friends as they took their seats.

"Hello," said a young woman in a white shirt and blue skirt. "My name is Kelly and I'm taking pictures for Pauline Simpson," she introduced herself. "She has cancer and I and some of her other friends are trying to get enough donations to help pay for her medical costs. One instant snapshot is a five dollar donation?"

"Sure," the teens agreed at once. The girl used an entire roll snapping pictures of the teens. After handing out the pictures and accepting the donations, she thanked the teens and left.

"Can I take your order?" Tony asked, coming over to the group.

"I thought Tuesdays and Sundays were your days off," Frank commented.

"I traded with Jim," Tony informed him. "He had to go see his lawyer about something this afternoon."

After placing their order, Callie and Vanessa excused themselves to go to the ladies' room and Biff and Joe departed for the men's room. Frank noticed Jeanine looking at him curiously. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"I was wondering why you had your picture made twice with Callie? Isn't she Joe's girlfriend?" Jeanine asked, shocking Chet, Phil, Sandy and Helen into silence.

"No," Frank said with a little laugh. "I thought we told you yesterday that Callie and I were dating?"

"Well, yeah," Jeanine said a bit uncomfortably. "But I thought I hadn't heard right. I mean, why else would Callie and Joe be hugging at school this morning and she telling him she loved him?"

"What are you talking about?" Frank demanded, his eyes narrowing in dislike.

"Biff and I were looking for somewhere private to talk this morning and we interrpted Joe and Callie in Sykes' detention room."

Jeanine looked up and saw Biff returning to the table. She stood up. "I need to visit the ladies' room," she said. "I apologize if I offended you," she added, moving away. She gave Biff a quick kiss on the cheek as she passed by him.

When Biff sat down, Chet looked over at him. "I hear you caught Joe and Callie necking in detention," he teased.

"Something like that," Biff agreed teasingly, sneaking a glace at Frank that was observed by all. 


	5. Chapter Five

When the Hardys arrived home later that afternoon the phone was ringing. "Hello?" Joe said, picking up the receiver. "Joe, can you come over?" Biff asked. "I have to talk to you now." 

"We'll be right over," Joe promised.

"No, no," Biff said quickly. "Just you. I uh...don't want Frank to know yet."

"Know what?" demanded Joe, curious.

"I'll tell you when you get over here," he said. "Just come on over."

"All right, all right. I'm on my way," Joe promised, hanging up. He turned to Frank. "That was Biff. He wants me to come over. I won't be gone too long. You be okay?"

"Sure," Frank replied. "I'll just start on my homework," he said, forcing a smile to his face. And we'll talk when you get home, he added silently to himself.

Joe left the house and got into the van, not noticing that there was someone lurking in the shadows at the end of the street. He arrived at the Hoopers about ten minutes later and parked in the drive. He climbed out and was preparing to go inside when Biff rushed out to meet him.

"I am so glad you are here!" Biff exclaimed. "I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" Joe asked, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and excitement.

"Nothing's wrong!" enthused Biff. "Everything is great. I have never been so happy in my life," he added, his mouth breaking into a huge, silly grin.

"Heel, big boy," Joe ordered, laughing. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"Let's go to my room," Biff suggested turning and leading the way inside and upstairs to his bedroom.

Joe took a seat on the bed and leaned back, resting his weight on his hands. "Okay, what's got you so excited?" demanded Joe.

"It's Jeanine," Biff answered. "Joe, I have never felt this way before. I want to be with her all the time."

"Whoa! Time out," Joe ordered, his face growing serious. "You just met her yesterday."

"Yeah, and I think..no, I know, it was love at first sight," Biff declared. "I love everything about her; her voice, her sense of humor, the way she kisses."

"Okay, so you like her...a lot. But love..." Joe shook his head. "Don't go getting all crazy on me. You don't even know her."

"Of course I do!" Biff stated. "I took her home last night. We talked for two hours!"

"And what about her parents?" Joe asked. "Do you like them too? Do they like you?"

Biff shrugged uninterestedly. "They weren't there. I don't think they are around all that much."

"What makes you say that?" Joe asked.

"The place looked almost spotless," Biff confessed. "Kind of like they aren't around very often. And she never mentioned them."

"Poor kid," Joe said. "But still, you shouldn't get all bent out of shape over her. Until..."

"Listen to you!" Biff exclaimed, his face turning red as his anger began to build. "I can't remember the times you said you were "in love" only to be in love again with someone else a week later."

"I know, which is why..."

"And this is the first time I have ever felt this way. I don't go around falling in love with every girl I date. Jeanine is special," Biff declared, glaring at Joe and daring him to argue.

"Calm down, pal," Joe said, getting to his feet. "I am not saying she isn't. And what you feel could really be true love, but just, don't rush into anything, okay?" He looked Biff in the eyes. "You're my best friend and I don't want you getting hurt. Date her. Get to know her better before you tell her you love her."

"I can do that," Biff agreed, finally.

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Frank went to his room after Joe left and pulled out his calculus book. He had only been at it for twenty minutes when the phone rang. He went into the hall and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Linsday's Florist. Am I speaking with Mr. Hardy?" said the woman on the phone.

"You might say that," Frank replied with a small smile.

"I am sorry but after you left, there was an accident. The bouquet you picked out for Ms. Shaw was damaged beyond repair. Would you like to choose another, have us choose another, or have you money refunded?" the woman inquired.

"My bouquet?" Frank asked, confused. "Are you sure it was my bouquet?"

"Yes, Sir," was the reply. "I have your card here."

"Would you read it to me?" Frank asked. "Just to make sure there wasn't some mistake?" he lied.

"Of course, Sir. The card says...'Thanks for believing in me. From the only Hardy who really loves you, Joe'."


	6. Chapter Six

When Joe arrived home that night he found a note in the kitchen saying Frank had turned in early. Joe locked the door and turned on the alarm. He prepared himself a sandwich for dinner and poured a glass of milk then took the two items and headed upstairs to his room. He set his dinner down on his desk then went into Frank's room. It wasn't like him to go to bed so early. 

Joe tiptoed over to the bed and gently put his hand against his brother's forehead to see if he were running a fever. Frank seemed okay, Joe thought. He pulled the sheet up over Frank's arms and quietly exited the room as Frank's eyes flew open.

Frank lay still, not moving an inch until he heard the bathroom door which connected their rooms click shut. The he turned over and put his hands under his head. This didn't make any sense. Joe cared about him. He would never do anything to hurt him...unless. Unless Joe loved Callie more than he loved him. Would love make Joe do something stupid? Duh! He answered his own question. Joe had done some really stupid things in the name of love before. But to actually try and woo Callie away from him? Wait a minute! He sat up in bed, steamed. What woo? Callie seemed to be returning the interest. Hadn't she been taking up for him this evening? And the two of them together at school. Jeanine being confused he could understand. But Biff!

He lay back down. No. It was too soon. It could all just be some horrible mix-up, he decided. He would have to watch them to see what was really going on. Heck. He might as well admit it. He was going to spy on them. Spy on his brother and his girlfriend whom he professed to love. What was wrong with him? No. He would not sink to those depths. He would act normal. If they did have something going on, he would know it, wouldn't he? All that fighting, he moaned silently. Doesn't everyone say hate is akin to love? Was that why they fought so much?

"No," he groaned out loud, and pulled the pillow over his ears to try and block out his own thoughts. He turned onto his side and closed his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to eliminate the doubts which clouded his mind.

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Joe woke up the next morning and immediately went into Frank's room to see if he were feeling all right, but Frank wasn't there. Neither was his backpack. Joe frowned and got ready for school. When he got there, he saw Frank in the hallway talking to Phil. "Frank?" Joe asked, coming over. "You feeling okay?"

"He's fine," Phil growled. "Come on, we're going to be late for homeroom," he added to Frank. Frank followed Phil down the hall without a word to Joe.

"Something wrong?" asked Jeanine, coming up behind Joe.

Joe shook his head. "Something, obviously," he said. "But don't ask me what. I have no idea."

When lunch time arrived, Joe took his tray and went to his usual table to sit down. Phil and Tony sat on either side of Frank while Callie, looking miserable, sat between Vanessa and Biff. "Where's Jeanine?" Biff asked as Joe sat down between him and Tony.

"She took off again," Joe said. "She said she would be back before our next class." He looked from Frank to Callie. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"That's what I would like to know," Callie stated, her brown eyes steel as they glared at Frank. "For some reason, your brother has decided to ignore me today."

"What's up?" Joe asked, looking Frank in the eyes. "You were giving me the cold shoulder this morning, too. Are you sick or something?"

"You could say that," Frank replied, getting up and taking his tray with him.

Joe started to follow but was halted by Phil's words, "Leave him alone. Haven't you done enough?"

"What are you talking about?" Joe demanded, his eyes holding a mixture of concern, curiosity, and anger.

"Like you don't know," Tony declared, standing up. He grabbed his tray and followed Frank's example with Phil following close behind.

"What is with them?" Joe asked, looking from Callie to Vanessa. Biff, he knew, was too wrapped up in Jeanine to pay any attention to what had been going on with anyone else lately.

"I wish I knew," Callie said, on the verge of tears. "Vanessa and I came over and sat down and all of the sudden those three started treating us, well, me, like I had bubonic plague!"

"Just you?" Joe asked.

"Yes," Vanessa confirmed for her. "They were acting almost like they felt sorry for me or something," she added. "What's going on with them?"

"I don't know," Joe said. "But I will find out," he vowed.

Lunch over, the teens hurried to their next class. By the time the bell rang announcing the end of the school day, Joe was burning mad. What right did Frank have to treat him like this? To treat Callie like that? He and Frank were going to have it out tonight and there was nothing that was going to prevent it! He stood up and turned around, knocking into Jeanine who had stepped into his path. Her books scattered over the floor.

"Oh, dear," she moaned. "I knew I should have put them in my pack," she added, kneeling down to gather them up.

Joe stooped down and helped get everything together for her. Standing up, he waited for her to rise. When she did, he handed her the notebook and loose papers he held. She took them from him. "Thank you," she said, and leaned up to give him a thank you kiss which barely grazed his lips.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Biff shouted from the doorway, rushing in and pulling Jeanine away from Joe. He stepped in front of her. "You've got your own girl. Leave mine alone," Biff declared, his hands bunched into fists.

Jeanine screamed and ran from the room. Outside the school, she bumped into Vanessa who could see how upset she was. "Hey, it's okay," Vanessa tried to comfort her. ""Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" she asked.

Jeanine shook her head, tears spilling down her face. "I..I have to get home," she mumbled.

"I'll take you," Vanessa offered and led Jeanine to her Explorer.

Back in the school, Joe and Biff had watched Jeanine run from the room. "Look what you did!" Biff shouted angrily.

"What I did?" Joe said, disbelief written all over his face. "She ran away because your shouting terrified her."

Biff's face fell. "This isn't over," he warned Joe and took off after Jeanine, finding her in time to see her get into Vanessa's car. "This isn't over by a long shot," he muttered, going to his own car.

Joe went straight home. Finding Frank hadn't arrived, he started on his homework. When the front door opened and Frank walked into the living room half an hour later, Joe had finished everything but the written report he had due the next day. "We need to talk," Joe said, getting to his feet.

"That would be a definite," Biff agreed. He had arrived with Frank and Phil and Chet.

"What's going on?" Joe demanded, ignoring Biff and the other boys and looking Frank in the eyes.

"You were trying to steal my girl," Biff said. "That's what's going on."

"Of course he was," Frank told Biff, his voice bitter. "He wants every girl in Bayport for himself, didn't you know?"

"What?" Joe gasped.

"Why wasn't Vanessa enough for you?" Phil demanded. "She doesn't deserve this. And I will take great pleasure in comforting her," he added for spite.

Joe's gaze moved to Phil at this. "You? Comfort Vanessa? Over my dead body," he growled.

"Any way you want it," agreed Biff, tackling Joe and pushing him over into the coffee table which broke beneath the boys' combined weight.

"Stop it," ordered Frank at once. Joe smiled. Frank may be acting strange, he thought, but he was still protecting him. That was a good sign. "Take it outside," he ordered Biff, pulling him up. "You can pound him there," he added as the front doorbell sounded.

Shocked, Joe was hauled to his feet by Phil and Chet and ushered outside followed by a very irate Biff as Frank opened the front door. "Hi," Jeanine said. "I saw Biff's van outside. Can I talk to him?"

"Come on in," Frank invited her. "He's, uh, out back. I'll go and get him. Just wait here," he asked, not wanting her to see what Biff was doing outside.

As Frank exited the house, the phone rang but he didn't hear it. His attention was focused on Biff and Joe who were locked in battle. "Biff!" Frank shouted to get his attention as he pulled his fist back to hit an already bloodied Joe. Biff froze in mid-swing. "Jeanine is here to see you." Biff nodded and let his fist follow through with the promised punch. As Joe fell to the ground, Biff went inside, followed by Chet, Phil and Frank.


	7. Chapter Seven

Joe painfully got to his feet and went inside. Hearing the other boys in the living room, he used the back stairs and went upstairs to his room, locking it. Entering the connecting bathroom, he locked the connecting door which led into Frank's room and started cleaning himself up. The blood had come from his nose which had taken the first punch. But he knew he wouldn't be a pretty sight for a few days anyway. After stopping his nose from bleeding, he sank to the floor, his back against the tub, and wrapped his knees with his arms. Putting his head on his arms he lay there until it grew dark, wondering what had gone wrong. 

He could understand Biff's rage. He was temperamental and he had just told Joe he was in love with Jeanine. His walking in on the thank-you kiss had been bad, but it had been nothing more. He and Jeanine would be able to convince Biff of that and he would be sorry he had attacked Joe. What had Joe baffled was why Phil, Chet and Tony were mad at him. And worse, why Frank had turned on him. He had let Biff try and make mincemeat out of him. He hadn't tried to stop the fight. He had told him to take it outside.

Feeling completely betrayed, Joe rose to his feet and unlocked the door and entered his room. Squaring his shoulders he unlocked the door and went downstairs. Everyone must have left, Joe realized as he entered the darkened living room. He picked up his backpack and made his way back upstairs. There, he relocked himself in his room and started working on his paper. By ten o'clock, Frank still had not returned. Worried, he put through a call to Phil's house, guessing he might have gone home with his best friend.

"Hello?" answered Mr. Cohen when Joe's call went through.

"Hi," Joe returned the greeting. "Um, is Frank there?" he asked.

"He and Phil have already turned in for the night," Mr. Cohen replied. "If it's important, I can wake him."

"No, no," Joe quickly refused. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. Thank you. Goodnight," he added hanging up. Joe sat in stunned silence. Frank had left for the night. Not a word or note. And after they had promised to keep the alarm turned on while they were at home. Frank really didn't care about him anymore. Joe checked the doors, turned on the alarm and then went to his bed, flipped on his clock's alarm and cried himself to sleep.

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The next morning, Joe pulled his motorcycle to a stop in the parking lot at school. "Nice car," Joe commented, removing his helmet and smiling appreciatively at the car Jeanine climbed out of.

"My dad let me borrow it," she told him. "Oh!" she gasped, touching his cheek. "What happened?"

"I kind of met a solid object last night," Joe evaded a direct answer. He didn't want her to know about Biff. He wasn't about to start a fight between the two on account of him. He had enough problems without adding another.

"I'm so sorry...oh," Jeanine ended, raising a hand to her eye.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked in concern.

"I have something in my eye," she said, starting to rub it.

"Don't do that," Joe told her, grabbing her hand and tilting her chin up so he could look into her eye. From a distance, it almost looked like Joe was leaning in for a kiss.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa demanded, coming up from behind him.

Joe released Jeanine and spun around to see an outraged Vanessa and a shocked Callie standing there. "I was just..." he began but Callie slapped him.

"How could you?" she demanded.

"I..." Joe started to defend himself, but Vanessa slapped him.

"I never want to see you again," she declared and stormed off with Callie following close at her heels.

Joe sighed and dropped his head. And I thought it couldn't get any worse, he thought sadly. "What got into them?" Jeanine asked, shock written on her face.

Joe shook his head. "Let's get to class," he said, leading the way into the school.

By day's end, just about everyone in school was giving Joe the cold shoulder. Joe slammed his locker shut after the tenth time someone had purposefully-accidentally bumped into him. He hurried outside and met up with Frank on the front steps. "Hold it right there!" he ordered, grabbing Frank's arm and pulling him to a halt. Phil, Chet, Tony and Biff came to a stop a few feet away as did Callie, Vanessa and several other students who sensed something major about to take place.

"Let go of me," Frank demanded, shaking Joe's hand off and turning away.

Joe grabbed him again. "I want to know what your problem is," Joe said through clenched teeth. "Because whatever it is has spread throughout the entire school."

"My problem?" Frank asked in contempt. "Face it, Joe. When you act like a heel you're going to get treated like one."

"I haven't done anything wrong and I don't deserve the way everyone has been treating me," Joe said.

"You don't deserve?" Frank's eyes went wide before he burst out laughing. "You haven't done anything wrong? I trusted you! And what do you do? You go off and play hoochie koochie with my girl!" Frank was too steamed to notice the surprised look on Joe's face or the paling of his features. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve this. I can't believe I was so blind for so long. You're nothing but a superficial egomanical playboy. You have no depth; no feelings; no loyalty. I don't know how I ever cared about you in the first place."

Joe was silent. Too shocked to say anything. Callie, however, was ready to explode. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she demanded, pulling Joe out of her way and standing in front of Frank, her eyes flashing.

"That you're a slut?" Frank retorted. "If the fishnets fit."

"Frank," Joe said warningly.

Callie spun around. "You stay out of this!" she screamed. "This is all your fault."

Joe opened his mouth to argue but after seeing how everyone was looking at him, he turned on his heel and walked away. As he reached the parking lot, he saw Jeanine getting into her car. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing how upset he looked.

Joe shook his head, too upset to discuss it. "Get in," she offered, leaning over and pushing open the passenger door. "Let's get a soda and you can tell me about it." She saw Joe's hesitant look. "You'll feel better if you get it off your chest," she urged.

Joe nodded and started to get in. "Oh," he said, reaching in to move the sweater which lay on the seat.

"Leave it," Jeanine said. "I spilled some soda there."

Joe shrugged and climbed in, squealing as he felt something sting him. He shoved the sweater aside, his vision growing blurry, and spied the tranquilizer dart which had jabbed him. Jeanine pulled him the rest of the way into the car and closed the door. "Rest, darling," she whispered, putting the car into gear. "They won't bother you ever again."

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When Joe woke up he lay still for a few seconds as the memory of what happened came rushing back to him. He sat up and was accosted by a wave of dizziness. He fell back and closed his eyes. The next time he opened his eyes, he sat up a bit more slowly. He looked around, confused by his surroundings. He was on a full sized bed covered with a satin red comforter and pillows with matching pillow shams. There was a small table by the bed with a red tablecloth but nothing on it. Too his right there was an open door leading into a bathroom.

About six feet in front of him were iron bars and at the end of the encaged area was the door into his cage. Joe jumped from the bed and raced for the door, being pulled to a halt inches from it. He looked down and noticed his ankles were encased in metal bracelets with chains extending to the wall near the head of the bed. Going back to the bed, he sat down to see how loose the leg irons were but stopped as the basement door on the outside of his cage opened.

Joe leapt to his feet and grabbed onto the iron bars as his captor entered the room. "Relax, Joe," Jeanine purred, smiling at him. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then let me out of here," demanded Joe, his face red with anger as he gripped the bars of his cage and glared at her.

"I can't do that," she denied with a shake of her head. "I've gone to way too much trouble to get you," she added, letting down her hair. She reached up and removed a contact from her right eye and then one from her left.

Emerald eyes? Joe was confused. Why would she hide such beautiful eyes with dull brown contacts? I've seen those eyes before, the thought struck Joe with intense clarity although he couldn't remember where. He watched as she turned and left the basement without another word.

He sat down and tried to remove the leg iron from his left leg. No good. He would have to have the key. Or at least a decent lock pick, he added, his face breaking out into a derisive frown. He laid back on the full bed, his arms crossed beneath his head as he wondered what Jeanine had in store for him.

An hour later, the basement door opened and in walked Jeanine...no! "NO!" the thought became audible and he leapt to his feet in alarm as he stared at the young girl who had transformed herself into a raving beauty. "Angelic," he whispered, his face turning white.


	8. Chapter Eight

"Ah, honey," Angelic drawled, swinging her once again raven hair over her shoulder. "Don't look so surprised. I told you we belonged together." She reached out to touch Joe's face through the bars.

Joe jumped back out of her reach. "Don't be that way," Angelic begged. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Not long enough," Joe asserted.

"You don't mean that," she pouted.

"You know I do," he insisted. "If you hadn't known I would feel this way, why did you change your appearance and pretend to be someone else?"

"I did that so your family and friends wouldn't chase me away before you got a chance to know me better," answered Angelic.

"You let Biff fall in love with you," accused Joe. "You surely can't think you're still in love with me?" he demanded in disbelief.

"Of course I let Biff fall in love with me," she replied. "And then I let him believe that you made a pass at me. He doesn't like you anymore. Neither does Vanessa," she added, smirking. "Once she saw you kissing me, that was enough to send her packing."

"We didn't kiss," Joe corrected her. "It just looked that way."

"Whatever," Angelic replied in a bored tone. "It worked. And as for Frank and his girlfriend, well, that was so much easier than I thought it would be."

"Why did you get Frank to turn against me by linking me to Callie?" queried Joe. "You knew she was his girlfriend."

"After catching you two in that classroom at school, I wasn't sure," she admitted. "I mean, she could have seen how wonderful you are and wanted you for herself."

"You think I would steal my own brother's girl?" Joe demanded in disbelief.

"No, but she could have made the move on you," Angelic said. "Look, let's not ruin our first evening together," she begged. "I'll go and make some dinner and we can talk some more, of if you'd rather, we can kiss?"

"Not interested," responded Joe, his features turning stony.

"Why not?" Angelic pushed. "It's not like there is anyone out there who cares about you anymore. They treat you like you have the plague," she pointed out and Joe knew it was the truth. Jeanine, Angelic, had done her job well. No one wanted anything to do with him. He had been in exile for the past two days. At least when his parents returned home, they would be worried about him.

Frank will be worried about you tonight, a voice nibbled away at him. Joe frowned. Would Frank be worried about him? Frank believed Joe had tried to steal Callie away from him. Would he care if Joe vanished? He might think his competition was gone. Joe kicked himself mentally. Frank would never let a quarrel come between them when it meant he might have been hurt or kidnapped. Joe knew that with all his heart and he was ashamed of himself for doubting his brother even for a minute.

But he doubted you, the voice in his head said. She made him, Joe argued back. But how hard was he to convince? The voice persisted. Joe growled out loud, causing Angelic to look at him funny. Joe turned away and sat down on the bed.

Angelic left the basement, closing the door behind her once again and went upstairs to prepare dinner, unaware that Joe was already being missed.

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"Joe?" Frank called out as he entered the house. Frank paused in the foyer and waited for Joe's answer. When none came, he shouted again. "Joe, get down here! We need to talk!"

Still no movement could be heard from above. Frank ran up the steps and into his brother's room. He wasn't there and from the look of things, he hadn't been since leaving for school this morning. Frank went downstairs to the kitchen. No sign he had been there either.

Frank frowned. Where could Joe have gone after their argument earlier? Frank left the house, locking the door, and headed to Callie's.

He parked in the drive, took a deep breath, and got out. Going up to the house, he knocked on the front door. When Callie opened the door, she let out a scowl and started to slam it in Frank's face but he put his foot in the way. "Please? I need to talk to you."

"I think you've said quiet enough," she snarled. "Now move your foot!"

"Please? It's very important?" he begged, his puppy dog eyes working on her.

Callie nodded, closed the door and led the way to the porch swing and sat down. "I'm listening," she said.

"I'm sorry," he began. "I know you have every right to hate me and I doubt you can understand but well, I have always been jealous of Joe and when I thought you and Joe were an item, I...well...I lost it."

"You honestly thought I would cheat on you?" she demanded.

"No," he denied, reverently shaking his head.

"Oh, so you thought Joe would try and get me to go with him behind your back?" she asked, just as angry for Joe's sake as she had been for her own.

"Look, you know how Joe's been this week," Frank tried to excuse himself. "First he cheated on the history test and the he tried to steal Jeanine from Biff. I thought he was just trying to get you for spite."

"I've been thinking about him," Callie said, forgetting her anger and looking worried as she leaned forward and cupped her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on her knee. "How could Joe have cheated? I know Harmon said someone had broken into his trunk and gotten in his briefcase and copied the answers to the exam, but Joe didn't even know there was a test, remember? That's why he hadn't studied."

"But he admitted he cheated," Frank pointed out.

"He was upset," Callie argued. "That's why he said it. You know Joe better than anyone. Do you honestly believe he cheated?" She waited until Frank shook his head before continuing. "And besides, Vanessa called me Monday night and told me Jeanine had told him about the battle before class that day. She said he was amazed that everything she had told him had been on the test."

"I just don't understand what's going on with Joe. I mean, I know he has been upset because..." he broke off, biting his bottom lip because he knew he had said too much.

"Because?" Callie prompted him.

"Because I said I wanted to marry you," confessed Frank.

"You...what?" she began by screaming but ended up in a whisper. She shook her head. "When did you tell Joe that?"

"Monday."

"Then that couldn't be the reason," Callie informed him. "Joe and I worked through our problems Tuesday morning. Biff and Jeanine caught us in the detention classroom right as we had come to terms," she ended.

"Jeanine again," Frank murmured thoughtfully. "Didn't Vanessa get mad at Joe because she said Joe was kissing her?" he asked.

"That's right," Callie confirmed. "I was with her when we saw them. What are you getting at?" she asked, her own resentment at Frank's earlier outburst gone.

"Everything bad that has been going on recently around Joe has had Jeanine somewhere in the background," Frank stated his observation.

"What are you implying?" Callie asked, looking at him curiously.

"What if she is instigating these events?" Frank asked. "What if she has it in for Joe?"


	9. Chapter Nine

Frank left Callie's a little later and returned home expecting to Joe to be there. When he still hadn't returned home by seven that night, he was really worried. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Vanessa, have you seen Joe since school?" he asked, mentally crossing his fingers and hoping she would answer him.

"No. Nor do I want too," she replied.

"Don't be too mad at him until you talk to him, okay?" begged Frank.

"Why not?" she demanded, a tinge of curiosity creeping into her voice.

"Because I think Jeanine may have been setting Joe up," he answered truthfully.

Vanessa was quiet for a moment. "I...I suppose that's possible," she admitted. "But why would she?"

"I don't know," Frank said. "But Joe hasn't come home and if he isn't with any of our friends which I doubt because no one, including me, has been very good to him lately, then I am going to go and see her."

"Can I go with you?" requested Vanessa. "I would like to ask her about that kiss myself."

"Sure," agreed Frank. "Give me a few minutes to call around and I'll get back to you."

"No," she said. "I'll come on over. I want to talk to Joe too and if you find him, you'll have him come home, right?"

"Right," affirmed Frank. "Okay, I'll see you in a little bit."

Frank spent the next fifteen minutes calling their friends. No one had seen Joe since the scene on the front steps after school, but they all voiced concern and wanted to help find Joe. He may not be their favorite person right now, but they didn't want anything bad to happen to him. Frank arranged to have everyone meet at the Hardy home at nine o'clock. If Joe was about, he would be home by then. If not, then he was in trouble and they would have to start a search party.

When Frank hung up after calling Callie to let her know about the nine o'clock meeting, he heard a car pull into the driveway. He glanced out the window and saw Vanessa's Ford Explorer. When she climbed out, Frank ran outside to meet her.

"Any news?" she asked, her face drawn in a worried frown. Frank shook his head. "Let's go see Jeanine," she said, getting back in the vehicle. Frank climbed into the passenger side and the two were off. When they stopped at Jeanine's house they both got out and went to the front door. Frank knocked.

After a minute's wait, a man in suit and tie answered the door. He had a phony smile plastered on his face which faltered a bit when he saw the young couple at the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Wayman?" he asked, his smile once again firmly in place.

"Er, no," Frank denied. "My name is Frank Hardy and this is Vanessa Bender. We were wanting to speak with Jeanine."

"Jeanine?" the man asked, his smile, once again, absent.

"Your daughter?" Vanessa asked hesitantly. "She does live here," she insisted. "I dropped her off here yesterday."

"Oh, you did?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Would you be willing to testify to the police about that?" he asked.

"Excuse me, but is something wrong?" Frank asked, his detective instincts reaching dangerous levels.

"Indeed. I am Marshall Thomas," the man introduced himself. "I work for Advance Realty. This place has been for sale for the past five months," he told the two. "And tonight is the first time anyone has wanted to even look at it."

"Mr. and Mrs. Wayward?" guessed Frank.

Thomas nodded. "When I arrived, I found that someone had been in here without permission. And the for sale sign had been taken down and stuffed in the bushes beside the house."

Frank glanced at Vanessa who had gone white. It seemed their suspicions about Jeanine were panning out. "We'll drop by the police station and give them a description," Frank promised.

"Thank you," Thomas said as another car pulled up out front and a middle-aged couple got out. "Please tell them I will be down as soon as I finish showing the house to this couple and file a report."

"We will," Frank agreed and led Vanessa back to her car.

"She did set Joe up," Vanessa said as she drove to the police station. "Do you think she did something to him?"

Frank didn't answer which made Vanessa bite her bottom lip and step on the gas. They arrived at the police station in minutes.

Sergeant Con Riley, a close friend of the Hardys, was on duty and Frank filled him in on Joe's disappearance and Jeanine's unlawful use of the house. After taking their statements, Con told Frank to call him if he heard from Joe, in the meantime, he would have the officers be on the lookout for him. If he hadn't turned up in twenty-four hours, Frank would have to come back and file a missing persons report. Frank and Vanessa returned to the Hardy home where Callie, Chet, Tony, Phil and Biff were already waiting.

"I know, you said nine, but I couldn't wait," Biff said when Frank got out of the car.

"Me neither," Chet said.

"Yeah, we've all been really down on Joe lately and if there's a chance he wasn't too blame, well..." Phil let the thought hang in the air.

"Not a chance. A fact," Vanessa told the group.

"Jeanine lied about where she lived," Frank began.

"But I went to her house," Biff protested.

"It wasn't hers," Vanessa told him. "It's for sale and she had been using the place without permission."

"But there was no for sale sign," Biff insisted, still not wanting to believe Jeanine was guilty of anything.

"The realty guy said he found it in the bushes beside the house," Vanessa said.

"So, where is Joe?" Callie asked.

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Joe sat up when the basement door opened and Angelic entered carrying a tray. She set it down on the floor and pulled a set of keys from her pocket. She unlocked the cage door and stepped back as Joe tried to get close enough to snatch the keys from her, but the door was out of his reach.

"Why do you lock the door when I can't even get out of these leg irons?" demanded Joe in frustration.

"In case you did get out of them," she replied, laying the keys on the floor near the basement door. She returned and picked up the tray and entered Joe's cage. She set the tray down on the table beside the bed.

"I told you before, I won't share you. And killing you pretty much eliminates any chance of your growing to want me as much as I want you," she continued. "I think this is a nice compromise."

"How long do you plan on keeping me a prisoner?" demanded Joe.

"Until I am convinced you love me," she answered truthfully. "And don't try and play any mind games with me," she continued. "I want proof of your love."

"What kind of proof?" he asked.

She smiled at him as her long lashes came down to almost completely cover her eyes. "I'll know when you show it," she answered him, giving nothing away.


	10. Chapter Ten

"Sit down," Angelic ordered him when he remained silent and standing. "Let's eat." She pulled the lid off the tray to reveal two juicy steaks, baked potatoes, and green beans. "I remember when I had dinner at your house, you ignored the peas, so I thought I would fix green beans instead," she told him. "Sit down," she said again, her voice stronger. "You can't eat if you don't sit." 

Joe wanted to protest he wasn't hungry but a growl from his mid-section betrayed him. Joe went over and sat down on the bed. She handed him a plate and a fork. "I already cut it for you," she said. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can trust you with a knife."

"What would I do with it?" demanded Joe. "Even if I went after you, I would still be trapped here. You left the keys over there."

"True," she agreed. "But with you, there is no telling what you could come up with. I get the feeling you are better at getting out of scrapes than MacGyver."

"Angelic, please, can't you understand? I just don't love you," entreated Joe.

"I know," she replied. "And that is why I brought you here. You will grow to love me without anyone else around."

"Even if you have turned Frank and my friends against me, my parents will look for me," he tried to reason with her.

"But they are gone and won't be back for several more days," she said. "By then, I will have thought of something to keep them from worrying about you."

Joe paled at this, but kept pushing. "My aunt is due in Saturday night," he informed her. "She'll call the police."

"No, she isn't," Angelic denied. "When I stopped by your house last night to see Biff, the phone rang as Frank was going to get Biff. It was your aunt. Her friend had an accident and broke her hip. She has to stay and take care of her."

Joe put a bite of steak in his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. If Frank didn't worry about him, and if he honestly believed he had been trying to steal Callie, Frank wouldn't, then no one would know he was missing until his parents returned home. And if she arranged something so they wouldn't worry, maybe even faking his death...Joe shook his head and closed his eyes as he swallowed. There was no telling how long he would be a prisoner.

"Wow, I didn't think you would like it that much," Angelic beamed at him, interpreting Joe's movements as pleasure.

Joe opened his eyes and looked at her, all the hatred he felt for her festering in his eyes. "Don't be that way," she begged. "It won't be bad, honest. It won't be long before you do fall in love with me and then you won't want to leave."

Joe never responded. His appetite gone, he set his fork on his plate and set the plate on the bed. Getting up, he walked as far away from Angelic as his chains would allow and sat down on the cold, hard cement floor.

"Okay," Angelic said, calmly putting her own plate back on the tray. She set his plate beside hers and covered them both up. Getting up, she left the cage. After locking it, she left Joe alone for the night.

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"So Joe hasn't been doing any of the stuff we have been blaming him for?" Chet asked. "Not even the cheating?"

"Yeah, we heard him admit to cheating," Phil put in.

"He just said it because he was angry," Vanessa told them. "He told me that Jeanine had told him all about the battle before the test."

"Jeanine broke into Harmon's car and copied the answers?" Chet asked, his face reflecting the absurdity of the notion.

"She was the only one to make a hundred," Callie said. "But how did she know there would be a test?"

"Unless she has been lurking around here for awhile?" Vanessa put in.

"And in the classroom where I saw Joe making a pass at Jeanine?" demanded Biff. He had already begun to feel bad for beating on Joe and now he was feeling lower than pond scum.

"Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?" Frank asked, looking him in the eyes. "He could have been helping her and she leaned over and kissed him."

"But she ran away," Biff said.

"I know," Vanessa said. "I drove her home..er, to the house she was using. You know," she added thoughtfully, "all the way to her place she kept asking about Frank and Callie."

"What did she want to know?" Callie demanded.

"If you two fought any. If you ever fought because of Joe. If you had ever gone out with Joe. She even wanted to know if I didn't think you and Joe would make a cute couple." Vanessa scowled. "That's when I told her Joe was mine. She said she thought he was too much of a playboy to have just one girlfriend. I told her that although Joe liked to look, he would never touch."

"And then the next day we see them kissing," Callie said, frowning.

"Do you think Jeanine knows where Joe is?" Chet asked Frank.

"I'm sure of it," he replied.

"So how do we find her?" Chet inquired, ready to help out in any way he could.

"First, we start by checking her record at school," Frank said. "That should give us a starting point."

"I'll take care of that," Callie volunteered. She helped out in the office on occassion and her presence wouldn't be questioned.

"What can the rest of us do?" Phil wanted to know. He was usually the patient, reasoning voice of the group, but after having turned on Joe because of Jeanine, he was aching to get involved. Like his friends, he felt guilty over his actions of the past few days.

"Until we find out something about her, there isn't anything we can do," Frank said.

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The next morning Callie was in the principal's office almost an hour before school was scheduled to start. She knew this would be the ideal time for her to check Jeanine's file because the secretary didn't come in for another half an hour and the principal usually had a few things to do before the start of the school day.

Callie went over to the file cabinets and looked under D. She quickly located Jeanine's file and pulled it. Not trusting herself to memorize it, she walked to the other side of the room and made copies on the Xerox machine. She folded the copies and tucked them into her backpack then returned the folder to its proper place. Shutting the file cabinet drawer, she left as quietly as she had arrived.

When Frank arrived at school a little later, he found Callie and Phil sitting on the front steps pouring over the papers. "You look terrible," Callie observed as Frank dropped a kiss on her forehead before sitting down beside her.

"I didn't sleep very well," he confessed. "I kept thinking about how mean I was to Joe."

Callie put a hand on his arm. "You didn't know he was being set up," she tried to comfort him.

"But I should have," Frank argued. "I know Joe would never do any of those things we thought he was doing. And I know you would never cheat on me either," he added, looking even more miserable than he had when he first arrived. "If..when we find Joe, do you think he will ever be able to forgive me?"

"Of course he will," Phil told him. "He knows you aren't perfect, although you do try to be. He loves you."

Frank suddently noticed the papers they were holding. "Are those what I think they are?" he asked, perking up a bit.

Callie nodded and handed Frank the paper she held in her hand. "You aren't going to like it," she warned him.

Frank looked the paper over then glanced at Phil. Phil shook his head. "I've never heard of her previous school," he admitted. "But I can check it out when I get to a computer."

"At school?" Frank asked.

Phil nodded. "Just keep Mr. Roland occupied for a few minutes and it will be a snap."

"Her previous address is listed as 514 Porstmouth Drive, New York, New York," Frank read from the paper. "I'll call Sam and have him check it out."

"Sam?" Phil asked.

"Peterson," Frank answered. "He was dad's old partner on the force."

"Isn't he the chief of police?" Phil inquired.

Frank nodded. "If you would go with Joe and me to New York sometime we could introduce you," he added, swallowing. He prayed Joe would be around to go with them.

"There doesn't seem to be anything else we can use," Callie said.

"No," Frank agreed. "But at least it's a start." He glanced at his watch. "I'll go and call Sam now," he said, getting to his feet and running insdie to the lunchroom where there was a pay phone. Unfortunately, cell phones weren't allowed at school.

When Frank got through to Sam, he told him about Joe's disappearance and requested he check out the address. "I'm sorry, Frank," Sam said, his tone sending chills of dread down Frank's spine. "I can tell you right now, it's a fake. There is no Portsmouth in the city; drive, road, or lane."


	11. Chapter 11

"Good morning, Joe," Angelic whispered in Joe's ear. Joe's eyes popped open and he shrank back against his pillow.

"It wasn't a nightmare?" he asked, his lips turned up at one corner, giving him a sardonic expression.

"Tsk, tsk," Angelic berated him. "It's a beautiful morning and you shouldn't get up in a bad mood."

"How would I know if it's a beautiful morning or not?" demanded Joe, staring up into her eyes. "I'm locked up in a dark basement."

"And here I thought you would want the light out when you sleep," she pouted.

"That isn't the issue and you know it," he told her. "I should be outside...or at least in school."

"School, bah!" she snorted. "You were having trouble in history; you disliked your Spanish teacher and you thought English was boring. Why bother? You don't need too. I'll take care of you. I am rich, you know."

"I never told you about Spanish or English," Joe said, looking at her curiously.

"You didn't have too," Angelic told him. "I've been watching you. I know how you feel about things."

"You were only at Bayport High for one week...less than..." Joe stated. "How could you know so much about me? I've changed since the last time you knew me."

"Yes," agreed Angelic. "But only for the better," she added. "I have been in Bayport for a month," she continued. "I only managed to get everything ready for you this past week."

"So we are still in Bayport?" Joe asked, pleased to have obtained this much information.

"We are," she readily admitted. "Don't look so surprised. You're safe here. No one will find you and there is no way you could get any information to anyone outside, so I see no reason not to tell you everything you want to know."

She pushed a lock of blond hair off his forehead and sat up. "Besides, you are supposed to be getting to know me better. How can you do that if you don't ask me questions and I don't answer?"

A contemplative look came over Joe and she stood up straight. "I hope you are hungrier this morning than you were last night," she said. "I made strawberry Belgian waffles." She picked up a plate from the table and a fork as Joe sat up. "Open wide," she urged, cutting off a bit and holding it up.

Joe reached for the fork but she backed up, shaking her head. "Last night I gave you the opportunity to eat by yourself. You refused, so this morning you get fed."

"How long is my punishment going to last?" Joe asked, gritting his teeth. He so wanted to take the plate and toss it against the wall, but he was starving.

"If you eat all of your breakfast, you'll get a chance at lunch," she promised.

Joe opened his mouth and let her put the waffle filled fork into his mouth. Involuntarily he moaned in pleasure as he swallowed. "I knew you would like my cooking. That silly hospital they put me in insisted I take up a hobby to get my mind off of you." She giggled. "Those morons really thought cooking would help me forget you. But after the way you bragged about your aunt's cooking, I knew you would want your wife to be able to cook for you."

"Angelic, we will never get married," Joe told her truthfully.

"You'll fall in love with me," she responded confidently.

"Even if that were the case, after you ahd kidnapped me and held me captive, my family would have you arrested," Joe tried to reason with her before she put another bite in his mouth. "My parents would never allow the wedding to take place."

"Then you will just have to get me pregnant before we see your parents," she replied. "They wouldn't want their grandchild to be born in prison."

"You would share me with a child?" Joe asked her, amazed. Hadn't she killed her own father to keep from sharing him with her mother?

"No, of course not," she admitted. "But after the baby were born we could give it to your folks to raise."

Angelic reached over and handed Joe a glass of orange juice which he finished half in one gulp before she took it away and began feeding him again.

"You said we were still in Bayport. Where exactly?" Joe asked.

"On the outskirts actually," she answered. "The previous owner was going to turn this place into some kind of museum but his health prevented it. I gave him a cashier's check for the asking price and he headed south."

"Who was the owner?"

"Emile Grabb." Joe couldn't believe it! He was in the basement of one of the weirdest mansions he had ever visited. He, Frank and Chet had been prisoners in the dungeon once before but not until after they had discovered a lot of the rooms had secret passages. He wondered if the basement had one. But...he was still trapped in leg irons.

Angelic finished feeding Joe his breakfast, let him finish his juice, then stood up, picking up the empty dishes. "I bought you some clothes," she told him. "They are lying on the clothes hamper in the bathroom. I'll give you some time to freshen up and then we can talk some more." With these words, she left the cage, locked it, and headed toward the door of the basement.

"Wait a minute!" Joe shouted. "How am I supposed to get these pants off and the other ones on with these leg irons on?" he asked.

She giggled. "Oh my," she said. "You do need to get those off first, don't you?" She looked at him thoughtfully for a minute. "Stay there. I'll be right back," she promised. Leaving.

True to her word, she was back almost immediately with a pair of scissors. "Here," she said, passing them through the bars into the cage. "Cut off your things and give me the scissors back before you go into the bathroom. Might as well go ahead and take off the shirt too."

"And if I don't?" Joe asked rebelliously.

"Then you will wear the same clothing, no matter how badly you smell, from now until you fall in love with me," Angelic answered, not in the least bit upset.

"How will I get the other clothes on?" he asked her.

"Oh, you'll figure out something, I'm sure," she answered, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Now, cut them off. You can use the sheet to hide behind if you like. I'll even turn around until you are through."

Joe waited until she had turned around and began cutting his clothing, grumbling that these had been his favorite pants. When he had finished, he wrapped the sheet around his waist. "I'm finished," Joe said.

Angelic turned around and smiled appreciatively at Joe whose chest and abdomen rippled. "I'll take your clothes too," she said as he passed her the scissors. Joe retrieved his useless clothing and handed them to her.

"See you in a little while," she said, turning and leaving. Joe dropped the sheet back onto the bed and entered the bathroom. One look at the hamper and he let out an angry roar! 


	12. Chapter 12

"Are you sure?" demanded Frank. 

"Positive," Chief Peterson replied. "Frank, I walked the beat in this city for two years before I was even paired up with your dad. I was born and raised in this city. There is no Portsmouth."

"Great," grumbled Frank, crestfallen.

"Is there anything I can do?" Sam asked.

"Can you see what you can find out about a girl named Jeanine Douglas?" Frank asked. "I think I can get a picture and fax it to you this afternoon."

"You got it," the chief agreed. "I hope you find Joe before then, though," he added.

"Me too," Frank said, hanging up. "Me too," he repeated as he was on his way to homeroom. Frank took his seat as the bell rang, wondering what he was doing there when he should be out searching for Joe. But he had no idea where to start looking and being at school was at least giving him the opportunity to help Phil check Jeanine's previous school record. He could hardly wait for computer class.

Two hours later, as soon as class began, Frank got Roland's attention so Phil could get busy. It wasn't easy but Frank managed to keep the teacher distracted for almost fifteen minutes. He hoped that had been long enough for Phil to find something out.

After class, Frank hurried over to Phil's side. "Well?" he whispered so Mr. Roland could not hear.

"The school is in a little town called Marsdale in South Carolina," Phil informed Frank. "But they have never had a student by the name of Jeanine Douglas."

Frank closed his eyes and counted to ten before opening them. They held a haunted expression when he looked at Phil. "Isn't there anything else you can try?" he pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Frank," Phil replied, shaking his head.

"I'm going to cut the rest of the day and head over to the place on Willow where she was staying," Frank decided. "Tell Biff that I need one of the pictures he had taken of him and Jeanine. I'm going to fax it to Chief Peterson at the NYPD."

"I'll take care of that," offered Phil. "Let me know if you find anything at the house."

Frank nodded and left, stopping in by the office to sign out. He didn't have to explain why he was leaving to the secretary. When she had noticed Joe was absent, she assumed Joe was sick and Frank was on his way home to check on him.

Not wanting to get arrested for breaking and entering, Frank stopped by the real estate office that was handling the sale of the house and spoke with Mr. Thomas. After explaining what he wanted, Mr. Thomas gave Frank a key to the house.

"Thank you, Sir," Frank said, taking the key. "I'll get it back to you before you close," he promised.

"Any time," Thomas said. "I just hope your brother is okay. But I am amazed your father isn't looking for him."

"My parents are on a cruise and won't be back for a few more days," Frank admitted. "They haven't been informed." He stood up and held out his hand. "Thank you again," he said, shaking hands with the realtor and leaving.

Frank headed straight over to the house on Willow. After almost two hours of searching every nook and cranny the only thing he had found was a light green slip of paper with the letters LIV on it.

Disgusted with the results of his search, he shoved the paper into his pocket and headed out, locking the door after him. After dropping the key off, he drove to the police station and went in to see Ezra Collig, Bayport's chief of police.

A tall, lean, man with graying hair, Collig wasn't overly fond of teenagers but Frank and Joe had proven themselves to be worthy of the respect he bestowed upon them. Frank filled Collig in on Joe's disappearance and his search efforts to date.

"Get me a picture of this girl," Collig ordered Frank. "We'll find her," he vowed.

Frank thanked the chief and left. Getting back in the van, he looked at his watch. School should be out by now. He reached for his cell phone. "Blast it!" he shouted in frustration. It was still at home. He threw the van into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot.

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Callie pulled into her drive and parked her car beside her mother's. "Hello, dear," greeted Mrs. Shaw, a petite woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. "How was school?"

"It could have been much better," Callie admitted, helping her mother carry in the groceries. Callie told her about Joe's disappearance and finding nothing useful in Jeanine's file at school.

"Poor Joe," Mrs. Shaw commented. "First Angelic and now this Jeanine person." Callie nodded her agreement, her thoughts on Frank and how he was dealing with Joe's disappeance as her mother continued talking.

"Wait!" Callie shouted, interrupting her mother. "What did you just say?" Something her mother had said had seeped through her own thoughts.

"Day dreaming, again?" her mother teased.

"Mother!" Callie said, exasperated. "Please?" she begged. Caving in, Mrs. Shaw repeated what she had just said.

Callie's face turned white and she kissed her mom's cheek. "I have to go to Frank's," she said, running out of the kitchen.

Before Callie reached her car, Vanessa's Explorer came to a stop outside. Callie ran over and climbed in the passenger seat. "Let's go see Frank," she ordered.

Vanessa threw the vehicle into gear and took off. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Wait until we get to Frank's," Callie said, her face still pale.

At the Hardy house, they found Frank on the front porch talking with Biff, Chet, and Phill. Frank looked up as the girls came to a stop and got out. "I'm glad you two are here," Frank said. "I was just about to call..." he broke off, seeing the set look on Callie's face. "What's wrong?" he demanded. He didn't know if he could take any more bad news right now.

Callie opened her mouth and said two words which caused all the boys to pale visibly. "Angelic Deveraux."


	13. Chapter 13

"What's wrong?" demanded Vanessa. "Who is Angelic?" 

"She..." Frank looked sick as he tried to answer but stopped and swallowed before continuing. "She tried to kill Joe last year." His gaze returned to Callie. "What has she got to do with anything?"

"She's in town," Callie informed him. "Mom said she saw her at Billy's Produce Stand on Highway 184. Frank, if she's in town..."

"No!" Chet declared angrily, standing up. "She's in a state hospital. The Hardys would have been notified if she had escaped." Angelic's first attempt to obtain Joe had resulted in the poisoning of Iola Morton. Fortunately, Joe had gotten her to the hospital before she died.

"He's right, isn't he?" Biff asked, looking up at Frank, concern written on his face.

"I'll find out," Frank vowed, his brown eyes hard as steel as he hurried into the house.

"Wait a minute!" Vanessa demanded when the others made to follow Frank. "Who is Angelic Deveraux and why do you all act as if her being here is the worst news you have ever heard? People have tried to kill Joe before and you have never acted this way."

"You'd better sit down," Phil told her. She looked at him funny but did as he suggested. "Callie, you want to tell this?" Phil asked, glancing at her.

"Not really, but I will," Callie replied. She looked at Vanessa. "Angelic was this girl I met at camp a few years ago. Last year, she came for a visit and while she was here, she met, and fell in love with, Joe."

"Then why did she try to kill him?" Vanessa demanded, confused.

"I'll get to that," Callie promised. "Joe started acting weird around Angelic and when Iola was poisoned, he accused Angelic of trying to kill her. We all thought Joe was crazy and I even told Frank that if he didn't get Joe away from me I would hurt him. So, Angelic went after me. Of course, we didn't know she was doing these things. But Joe suspected her and even conned Frank into helping find out who had tried to kill Iola and me." Callie paused and looked to Chet who nodded his head at her encouragingly. "Joe finally started believing she might be innocent when he and Frank went to meet her father on a boat but it blew up. Since Joe's theory was that she loved him and wouldn't hurt him, she wouldn't have blown the boat up with him on it...or close to being on it."

"But Joe wasn't supposed to have been there," Biff put in. "Only Frank. Joe was supposed to have been at home guarding Angelic."

"But Angelic had gone to bed early so Joe felt it was safe to go with Frank. Anyway, Frank started getting suspicious of her then but Joe wasn't any longer. Joe started trying to protect Angelic, thinking someone was really trying to kill her. Angelic arranged a few accidents for Frank but when she realized she couldn't have Joe all to herself, she decided to kidnap him. Rather than risk sharing him, she tried to kill him. Frank and I arrived at the motel where she had him tied up just in time to stop her."

"Turns out she had been lying to everyone all along," Chet took over. "She had said her dad was in town and made Frank and Joe believe someone was out to get her because of her dad."

"But she confessed to Joe that she had killed her father because she couldn't stand to share him with her own mother," Callie finished. "She was taken to a state medical facility to get help when she was arrested. And now she's back in town."

By the time they had finished talking, Vanessa was white as a sheet. "And...and you think she may have him now?"

"No," Callie denied. "We're pretty sure Jeanine has..." She stopped when she saw Phil shaking his head.

"Jeanine doesn't exist," Phil informed the two. "She never attended the school she listed and her last address isn't real."

"But still," Callie insisted. "Jeanine doesn't look anything like Angelic."

"Actually, she does," said Chet who had once had a crush on Angelic. "They have the same height and general build."

"And she could have dyed her hair and used colored contacts," Phil added.

"I don't get it," Biff said. "If it is Angelic, and she still has a thing for Joe, then why did she go out with me?"

"Actually, it all makes sense," Frank said, returning in time to hear the last comment. "When she kidnapped Joe this time, she took him when he felt like he didn't have any friends left. Everyone was against him. Even me," he added sadly.

"Everyone but her," Callie said, picking up on what he was getting at. "She's going to try and make him believe she is the only person who really cares about him."

"Joe's too smart to believe that," Vanessa stated firmly.

"You're right," agreed Frank. "But she doesn't know that and that is why he has to still be alive."

"You mean it is Angelic?" Chet asked.

"I think so," Frank affirmed. "I talked with the doctor in charge of her case. He claimed she was cured. She hadn't mentioned Joe for almost six months. Instead, she had been concentrating on her new hobby...cooking."

"Maybe she is over Joe then...and Jeanine.." Biff began but Frank shook his head.

"The doctor said she had turned into an expert cook. Especially her apple pie, chicken fricassee, and shrimp gumbo," Frank informed him.

"Joe's favorites," Vanessa murmured as Callie sneezed.

"Bless you," the chorus came at her from everyone. Frank pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her. As she took it, a bit of paper fluttered to the ground.

"What's that?" Phil asked, retrieving it and taking a look.

"That is the only thing I could find at the house on Willow," Frank replied with a wry smile.

"This is good," Phil said, looking up at Frank with sharp green eyes.

"Huh? How?" Frank demanded.

"This is from Sullivan's," Phil told him. "I recognize the color of their receipts. My mom is of Scottish descent and when they hold the Highland Games in North Carolina every year, mom buys us new outfits at Sullivan's and makes us dress for the event."

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When Angelic returned later, Joe was sitting on the bed, fuming. He jumped to his feet and glared at her as she entered the basement and neared the cage. "You have GOT to be kidding," he growled.

Angelic giggled and gave him a speculative look starting with his feet and working her way up to his eyes. "I think you look perfect," she purred.

Joe's gaze intensified to what an anime artist would term a death glare. "At least you won't need my help changing," she said, trying to make him feel better about his attire.

"But a kilt!" he shouted. "And a nasty green plaid one at that."

"Oh, if that's all that is bothering you," she waved a hand airily. "I had the kilts hand made for you," she said, proudly. "There are several more upstairs. Red plaid, solid red, brown, black velvet, green, yellow, all different colors and patterns. Shirts to go with them as well. I'll bring them all down later and then you can choose what you want to wear and when," she added. "I kind of figured it would take you a while to come round so I made sure we were prepared for everything. I'll bring them all down later and then you can choose what you want to wear and when."

"That's why you had this bathroom installed down here?" Joe asked.

She nodded. "How did you know?" she asked. "Is it that obvious that it didn't come with the place?"

"I've been here before," Joe confessed.

"When?" she asked, unlocking the cage door and then putting the keys out of reach before entering and sitting down on the bed.

Joe sat down on the bed beside her. He could see no harm in telling her so he told her about the case which had led to him, Frank and Chet being imprisoned in a room upstairs.

"You've led such an exciting life," gushed Angelic when he had finished. "I want to know about all your adventures."

Joe looked into her eyes and realized he had been doing exactly what she wanted...opening up to her. He clamped his mouth shut, stood up, and moved away.

Sighing, Angelic stood up and exited Joe's cage. Locking it, she told him she would be back in a bit. When she returned, she had several bags filled with kilts and shirts. She set them down, unlocked the cage, left the keys, then carried the bags inside and put them on the bed. Leaving again, she relocked the cage. Obviously, she was in a routine with the keys and Joe didn't stand a chance of ever getting at them. He would have to think up another way for getting out of here. If he could get the leg irons off.

The next time Angelic returned, she brought a tray with two plates and two glasses of milk. When she handed Joe his plate, he took a sniff and reached for his fork. There was no sense in pretending he wasn't hungry and had he tried, she would end up feeding him again, so he dug in.

He didn't say a word to her until he had polished off everything on his plate and his milk. "Thank you," he said. "That was really good."

"I'm glad you liked it," she said. "Would you like dessert now or would you rather wait a little while longer?"

"I'd like to wait, please," Joe said, his inbred manners coming to the fore. "Stuck here all day, I won't get much exercise. I probably shouldn't have any."

"Hmm," she said a bit thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that." She stood up and gathered the dishes. "I'll leave you alone for awhile then," she said.

She paused just outside the cage of the door. "Oh, I thought you might be lonely with nothing to watch or listen too, so I bought a CD and some magazines. Would you like them now?"

"Sure," Joe replied looking at her curiously. He was having a hard time figuring her out. For everything she did that made him angry, she did something nice. Was he more susceptible to what she was doing because everyone he had trusted had turned on him? He wasn't sure anymore; but he was positive about one thing...he would never fall in love with her. Would he? A little voice in the back of his brain began the niggling doubt.

Angelic returned in a few minutes with a CD player and a stack of magazines. She set the player down and then handed Joe the magazines through the bars.

"I remembered the titles you had in your room when I stayed there," she said. "I added a few extra I thought you might be interested in."

"Thank you," Joe said, browsing at the titles of the various car and muscle magazines. He smiled when he saw she had thrown in a few comic books as well.

"I hope you like this song," she said, loading the CD player. "It's my favorite group, ABBA. I'll put it on repeat so it won't go off until I get back."

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

"You'll find out later," she promised him, smiling mysteriously. As the opening of the song "Take a Chance on Me" began to play, she vanished through the basement door.


	14. Chapter 14

After almost thirty minutes, Angelic finally spotted someone who looked like they might be in trouble with the authorities. She picked up her soda and strolled over to him. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, sitting down without waiting for a reply. 

"Well, now. It isn't often I get the company of such a sweet young thing," the greasy looking character leered at her.

"Save it," she advised, her green eyes hard. "I have a proposition for you."

"And what would that be?" he asked, not really interested, but finding her amusing.

"How would you like to make around ten thousand dollars? Cash?" she asked.

He narrowed his brown eyes on her and leaned forward in his chair. She had definitely sparked his interest now. "What did you have in mind?" he asked. "I'm an honest guy," he added with a little laugh.

"I will give you three thousand dollars now to purchase a Bowflex, deliver and set it up. On completion, I will give you an additional seven thousand dollars. But..." Angelic stopped and held up a hand as he was about to ask something. "No questions. And you can't tell anyone about what you see in my home."

"No questions and silence," he said, looking at her speculatively. He was wondering what this crazy chick had going on. "And all I have to do is buy a Bowflex and take it to your place and set it up?" Angelic nodded.

"Doesn't sound illegal," he commented, watching her eyes for some sign of a trap. "Okay," he finally agreed. "Give me the three thousand and tell me where to take it."

Angelic pulled out thirty one hundred dollar bills and laid them on the table, pushing them over to him she told him the address. "I'll expect delivery in two hours," she said, standing up.

"You got it, Sweets," he said, finishing his coffee and standing up. He left the diner before she did.

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Joe looked up from his magazine when he heard the basement door open. Expecting to see Angelic enter, he was stunned to see a large man lugging a heavy box into the room. The man came to a stop when he saw Joe imprisoned in the cage.

Starting with a chuckle, the man erupted into gales of laughter. "Well, well, well," he said, wiping his eye. "If it isn't pretty boy Hardy."

Joe's gaze narrowed on the man's face. "Arnie Benton," Joe said, recognizing the two-bit crook. He had seen his face enough in the mug shots down at police headquarters. "What are you doing here?"

"He's delivering a present for you," Angelic told him, coming from behind Arnie, smiling although her eyes were stormy. She unlocked the cage. "Set it up in there," she ordered.

Arnie shrugged and entered. He started unpacking the Bowflex at once. Joe sat on his bed, wondering what Angelic was going to do with Arnie. Judging from the way she was shooting venomous looks at the man's back, he had the feeling it wasn't going to bode well for Benton. Joe knew there was no way Benton would help him, but he still felt he had to warn him about Angelic.

Joe looked at Angelic. "Um, could I have a snack?" he asked.

"Wait until our guest leaves," she replied.

"But I'm starving," Joe said, giving her the sad look he used on Vanessa when he wanted her to agree with him.

"Ah, go get the whiny baby something," Benton said. "I'll make sure pretty boy doesn't go anywhere."

"I'll have to lock you in with him," Angelic said.

"That's okay," Benton replied. He grinned. "You're one smart cookie, you know that?" he continued. "Locking him up and putting the leg bracelets on him. He ain't going nowhere."

"No, he isn't," agreed Angelic, smiling. "Just stay away from him while I'm gone," she ordered. "He's mine."

"I won't lay a finger on him," Benton promised.

After Angelic had left, Benton looked over at Joe and snickered. "I bet your old man is having fun trying to find you," he said.

"My 'old man' is on vacation," Joe informed him. "He doesn't even know I'm missing. Look, you have to watch out for Angelic," he continued.

"Whoa, hold up," Benton demanded, looking at Joe in surprise. "You're warning me? About her?" He burst out laughing. "Kid, it should be the other way around."

"She's already killed one person that I know of and she has tried to kill more," Joe said seriously. "And she doesn't like you."

"Oh yeah, what makes you think that?" Benton asked curiously.

"She's obsessed with me," Joe told him, blushing as Benton broke out laughing again. "Why do you think she has me in here? Dressed like this?" he demanded. "Why is she giving me things like a workout station and fixing me snacks on request?"

"Look kid, whatever she wants to do with you is her business. I won't say a word. But you sure do look funny dressed like a girl," he added, snickering.

"It's a kilt," Joe said stiffly, trying without much success to maintain some of his dignity.

"Kilt smilt. If it looks like a skirt, it's a skirt. I always knew you were a sissy," he added with a sneer as Angelic returned with a tray.

After Angelic opened the cage and gave Joe his snack, Angelic watched as Benton gathered the cardboard and other items and toted them from the basement. She reached up and rubbed Joe's cheek affectionately then left without saying a word, locking Joe back in.

Upstairs, Benton laid the trash down on the living room floor. "Okay, Sweets," he said. "I'll take my other seven grand now."

"Of course," she agreed, walking over to the desk against the far wall. She opened a drawer and reached inside. But instead of taking out any cash, she pulled out a revolver and aimed it at Benton's chest. "You shouldn't have made Joe feel bad," she said, pulling the trigger.

Joe dropped the cracker he held in his hand as a gunshot sounded throughout the house. Feeling sick, he set the tray down and went into the bathroom. He knew without even asking that Angelic had just killed Benton and he also knew it was becuase of him.

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"Sullivan's," Chet read the name above the door of the establishment. "Do you really think they can help us find Angelic?"

"It's a long shot," Frank replied, his mouth set in a grim line. "But right now, it's all we have."

He, Chet and Phil entered the building and were greeted by an aging man with gray hair and a gray mustache. He wore a red plaid kilt with a matching scarf covering half of his chest over a white shirt. "And how may I help ye lads this day?" he asked, his green eyes shining bright as he smiled at the three youths.

"Hello, Mr. Sullivan," Phil greeted the man. "We were hoping you could help us. We're looking for a girl and the only lead we have is part of one of your receipts."

"Why are you looking for the lass?" Sullivan queired. He felt his clients' information should be kept confidential, but not only did he know Phil well, he had recognized Frank as one of the Hardy boys who solved mysteries.

"She kidnapped my brother," Frank informed him. "I'm..."

"Frank Hardy. Yes, I know," Sullivan said. "I've read about you and your brother often. I will be glad to help in any way I can," he volunteered.

Frank gave a description of Angelic both as herself and as Jeanine. "You mean this lass actually changed her appearance to get your brother?" he demanded in shock.

"She isn't stable," Chet informed him.

"No, no. She certainly doesn't sound so," agreed Sullivan. "Yes, she has been in. Several times as a matter of fact. She put in a special order which I finished two days ago."

"Has she picked the order up yet?" asked Frank.

"She has," admitted Sullivan. "Less than twenty minutes after I called her."

"You have her number?" Frank asked, excited. Finally, they had a lead they could trace.

"I do," Sullivan said, then motioned for the boys to follow him into the back of the shop. "I keep files on all our special orders." He rummaged through the top drawer of a file cabinet. "Here it is. Angelic Deveraux. She paid by check."

Sullivan handed the check to Frank. "You haven't cashed it yet?"

"I do my banking on Mondyas," Sullivan informed him.

Frank pulled a little notebook from his pocket and copied down the address and phone number on the check. Handing the check back, he thanked the man.

"You think it is going to bounce?" Sullivan asked, his forehead wrinkled. It was a hefty sum and would be a major loss.

"I'm sure it won't," Frank assured him. "She may be a mental case but she is rich."

"Then she isn't crazy. She's eccentric," Sullivan corrected with a small smile.

"Not this time," Frank disagreed.

The boys thanked the man for his help and left the store. "Now where to?" Chet asked.

"The police station," Frank said. "They can get this address checked out quicker than we could and probably get an address to go with the phone number if it is different."

Forty minutes later, the three boys were sitting in the office of Chief Collig waiting for results. "You should try and get hold of your father," Collig told Frank. "He should know about Joe."

"If this doesn't pan out, then I will," Frank promised. He was confidant that at last they had found something tangible to work with.

As soon as Frank finished speaking, there was a knock on the door and Con opened it and entered. He shook his head. "The address is for her attorney. He takes care of all the financial ins and outs of her estate. And the cell number wasn't traceable. It's a Tracfone. Pay as you go."


	15. Chapter 15

"Doesn't the lawyer know how to contact her?" Frank asked.

Con shook his head. "She contacts him once a month. Her last call was four days ago."

"Frank..." Collig began.

"I know," Frank interrupted him sadly. "I have to let mom and dad know." He stood up as did his two friends. "Let me know if you find her?" he asked.

"We will," Collig promised. "You have your dad get in touch with me as soon as he gets home." Frank nodded and the three teens departed.

"Now what?" asked Chet glumly as the three piled into the van.

"Now, I see about getting in touch with Dad," Frank responded. "Tomorrow, as soon as the produce stand opens, we set up a stake out. If Angelic went there once, she may go again."

"And if she does, we'll follow her back to Joe," asserted Phil.

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Several hours had passed since Joe had heard the gunshot. He had waited for Angelic to return but after two hours, he felt like screaming or crying; he wasn't sure which. Both, he knew, were unproductive, so he had started searching, not for the first time, his cell for a secret passage. Finding nothing for the umpteenth time, he turned his attention to the Bowflex he had been given. Twenty minutes into his workout, he pulled off his shirt as sweat began to pour down his back. He knew he should take a break but he was filled with frustration and anger and this was his only outlet.

When Angelic finally entered the basement, Joe was so absorbed he didn't hear her. She stood just inside the basement door, watching his abdomen as it rippled with his efforts. His chest glistened and she held her breath as he ceased his movements when he became aware of her presence.

"You killed him," Joe accused her, his eyes showing a deep sadness.

"Yes," she admitted, coming closer.

"You don't even care that you took his life?" Joe asked her, not understanding how she could be so cold. She wasn't even attempting to justify herself.

"Joe, I told you, I am not going to lie to you," Angelic said patiently as she came over to him. "So if you don't want to hear my answers, don't ask." She looked at the tray on the floor. "You didn't finish your snack."

"I lost my appetite," Joe confessed. "Are you going to punish me for that?" he asked, bitterly.

"Of course not," answered Angelic, unlocking the cage. After laying down the keys, she went inside. "Only when you don't eat your meals," she told him. "You have to stay healthy." Involuntarily, she reached out and put her hand on his chest.

Joe jerked away from her. "Don't touch me," he ordered.

Angelic picked up the tray and exited the cage. After relocking it, she told Joe dinner would be in two hours. She turned on the CD player, letting ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" resonate through the room before she left.

Heaving a deep sigh, Joe headed into the bathroom for a shower.

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After his friends had left, Frank obtained the needed number and made a call to the ship his parents were on. "Frank?" Fenton answered. "What is it? Has something happened?"

"Angelic," Frank answered. "She's got Joe." He then explained about her being released.

"Keep looking for him," Fenton ordered. "Your mother and I will be home as soon as I can make arrangements."

After Frank hung up, he sat and stared at the phone, wondering what he could do that he wasn't doing. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Hi, Callie," he said, smiling wanly at her when he opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Keeping you from getting sick," she answered.

"What?" Frank asked, confused.

"When was the last time you ate?" she demanded.

He opened his mouth to answer but then stopped and thought about it. "Yesterday afternoon," he replied.

"I thought so," she stated. "I'll fix you something to eat. You can't do Joe any good if you pass out from malnutrition."

"I, uh, don't think there is much in the house," Frank told her. "Joe and I were planning on eating out until Auntie got here."

"Then let's head to the market and get something," Callie said. She saw Frank hesitate. "Take your cell phone," She told him. "Phil called and told me about the stake out idea for tomorrow. You can't do any more tonight and this will help take your mind off of it."

"I don't want to take my mind off of it," Frank complained but allowed himself to be led from the house. He locked the door. "I want to know where Joe is."

"We'll find him," she promised.

"But will it be too late?" he voiced his fears. "What if she has already killed him?"

"Don't even think it!" Callie ordered sternly. "If she was going to kill him, she wouldn't have kidnapped him."

"She did before," Frank reminded her. Callie remained quiet and the two of them got into Callie's car and drove to the nearest shopping center.

As Callie pulled into a parking space, Frank leapt from the vehicle before it had come to a complete stop and raced to the car directly across the lane and grabbed the arm of the girl who was busy putting a bag into the back of her car.

"Where is he?" Frank growled, barely controlling the urge to hit the girl he held securely by the arm. Callie finished parking her car and hurried over to the two.

"Let me go," Angelic ordered Frank, her voice calm, her manner, cool.

"Not until you tell me where my brother is," Frank retorted, gripping her tighter.

"I will never tell you where he is," Angelic informed him. "You know I won't share. But, if you don't let me go you will never find him. And he will die."

Callie could see a vein ready to pop on Frank's forehead and winced as she watched how tightly he gritted his teeth as he released her and stepped back.

"Is he okay?" Frank demanded hoarsely, his eyes begging.

"Of course, he's okay," Angelic answered. "And as long as he has me, he will remain so. But I'm warning you...if you try and take him away from me, I will kill him."

She bent down to pick up the items that had fallen when she had been grabbed and put them in the car. When she turned around she held a revolver in her hand. She took aim and fired.


	16. Chapter 16

Callie screamed as Frank grabbed her and pulled her behind him, but Angelic was through. She climbed in her car and drove off. Frank turned around and saw where Angelic's bullet had left it's mark. Callie's front tire was flat. 

"Sh..should you have let her go?" Callie asked shakily. "Maybe she already has killed Joe."

"She hasn't," Frank said, relief shining in his brown eyes. "Didn't you see what fell on the ground?" Callie shook her head.

"It was a battery operated men's shaver," Frank said. "Look, you go in and be getting the groceries while I change the tire. I'll be in shortly."

"Don't you want to call the police first?" she asked.

"No," came the unexpected answer. "If they find her, they'll spook her and she may kill Joe," Frank explained. "We have to keep them out of it as much as possible until we get Joe back."

"Then what are we going to do?" Callie demanded.

"Exactly as we had originally planned," Frank said. "Set up a stake out at the produce stand and follow her if we see her."

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When Angelic returned to the basement later that evening, Joe was lying on the bed reading one of the magazines she had brought him. He had changed into a solid midnight blue kilt with a matching tee shirt and the color seemed to intensify the blue of his eyes.

"Need any more magazines?" she asked, setting the tray she carried down and turning off the CD player.

"Only if you aren't going to let me go by tomorrow afternoon," Joe responded, quirking a hopeful eyebrow at her.

She shook her ehad. "Any requests?" she asked, unlocking the cage and laying the keys down.

Joe thought about it as she entered and set the tray down. "How about Mad, Time, Discover and a newspaper?" he asked.

"Magazines, yes," she replied. "Newspapers, no."

"Why not a newspaper?" queired Joe.

Angelic shrugged. "Your brother may put something in it for you that I wouldn't recognize," she voiced her concern. "So, no newspaper. But I will pick up those magazines and a few more. Want any books?"

"Might as well since I can't watch any tv," agreed Joe. "Horror?"

"You got it," she promised, smiling. "Now, are you ready for dinner?"

"Sure," Joe replied, watching as she lifted the lid off of his plate and then one off her own. "Mmm," he said, sniffing. "Smells good."

"Chicken Fricasse. I hope you like it," she said as Joe picked up his fork and lifted a bite to his mouth. She waited until he had swallowed before lifting her own fork.

"This is really good," Joe complimented her. "And one of my favorites too."

"I know," she replied, smiling at him. "You know, if there is anything special you want, all you have to do is ask."

"Let me write a letter to my family so they'll know I'm okay?" Joe asked. She shook her head. Joe shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

They ate in silence for a bit. "How did you find out my favorites?" Joe asked her.

"I asked a lot of questions when I stayed at your house the last time I was in Bayport," Angelic answered.

Joe took another bite and swallowed before asking her another question. "How many boyfriends have you had?"

"Why do you want to know that?" she asked, not surprised by the question; just curious.

"I was wondering if you went to as much trouble for them," Joe answered.

"I dated a few guys before Dad died," admitted Angelic. "But they weren't anything special." She looked him in the eyes. "You're the only man I have ever loved," she professed. "Don't you know how special you are? No one could ever take your place."

"Why is sharing such a bad thing?" he asked, watching her features intently.

"I don't know how to answer that one," she said. "I don't mind sharing a book; a booth; or even my car. But everytime I see you talking or looking at anyone...I just get so angry. You should be looking at me. Talking to me."

"I am," Joe said softly, feeling sorry for her. "I am looking at one of the most caring, beautiful girls I have ever met," he continued. "And I'm listening to your honesty. You have my attention."

"But I had to kidnap you to get it," Angelic pointed out.

"That's not true," Joe denied. "Didn't I give you my attention the first day at school?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But then someone came along and you started talking to him."

"But I didn't leave you out," Joe argued.

"But you weren't really paying attention to me," she complained.

"I heard everything you said. I saw you." Joe tried to get her to listen to reason.

"No," she disagreed. "You kept looking at Biff. Not at me," she said, beginning to get upset. "I hate him! I wish he were dead!" she shouted as she stood up.

"Easy," Joe said, standing up and pulling her into his embrace. He was afraid she would go after Biff. "He's not here. We're alone. Together. Just the two of us," he whispered, rubbing her silky hair with one of his hands.

A few minutes later, after Angelic had calmed down, she looked up into Joe's face. "Why are you being so nice all of the sudden?" she demanded, her green eyes suspicious.

"You're not such a bad person to talk with," Joe told her, letting her go and sitting down on the bed. "Besides, who else am I going to talk to?"

"That's the only reason you're talking to me?" Angelic asked, hurt. "Because I'm available?"

"Isn't that what you had in mind?" Joe asked, picking up his plate and starting to eat again.

"No!" she cried. "I want you to talk to me because you want too. Because you choose too."

"How can I choose?" Joe asked, reasonably. "To do that I would have to have a choice and that means more than one option."

"You have more than one option. You can talk to me or sit there and ignore me or glare at me or yell at me," she counted off his options on her fingers.

Joe reached over and placed his hand on hers. "And I'm talking to you," he said softly.


	17. Chapter 17

Frank finished changing the tire then went inside the grocery store to find Callie. She was talking with an older woman on aisle three where the two were stationed in front of the condiments. 

"Oh, Frank!" Callie said, seeing him approach. "This is Mrs. Lewis. She was just telling me about this girl she met last week."

"Oh?" Frank asked, looking at the plump Mrs. Lewis and quirking an eyebrow. The barely contained excitement in Callie's voice had not gone unnoticed.

"Why don't you tell Frank about her?" Callie suggested.

"This young girl, I don't know her name but she left not long before Callie got here, was at Bob's Plumbing World last week. When Jimmy, my husband, and I got to the shop, we are installing a second bathroom, you know. One just isn't enough for the two of us. Jimmy takes so long in there of the mornings I barely have time to get dressed myself. You know..."

"Mrs. Lewis," Callie interrupted her. "About the girl..."

"What? Oh, of course. She was nearly hysterical. She claimed she had to have her bathroom finished by Monday at the latest and even offered to double the agreed amount if it would be completed on time," Mrs. Lewis told Frank. "When I saw her in here just now, I asked if she had gotten her bathroom finished on time. I was just trying to be friendly but she looked down her nose a me and said she had no idea what I was talking about. Well, of course, I told her that I had seen her at Bob's Plumbing World. She made the nastiest face and told me what she did was no concern of mine and would I kindly mind my own business."

At this point Mrs. Lewis was once again worked up. "The nerve of the girl. I asked her a simple question and she treats me like public enemy number one. Not that I would know how that would feel, mind you, but I can imagine, you know. Molly Yates, a friend of mine, came along after she left and I was telling her about it when Callie stopped by and introduced herself and said she just had a run in with a girl outside and thought it might be the same person."

Mrs. Lewis paused for breath and shook her head. "I can't imagine how such a nice looking girl could be so rude. Didn't her parents teach her any manners? I mean..."

"She is something, all right," Frank broke in. He had the feeling Mrs. Lewis seldom stopped talking long enough to breathe. "One should definitely avoid her. Callie, we..uh... have to go. I have an appointment in a few minutes."

"Oh, right!" Callie said, smiling brightly at him for halting Mrs. Lewis' tirad and coming up with an excuse to leave. "It was nice meeting you," she added to Mrs. Lewis as Frank took Callie's arm and the two of them hurried away as Mrs. Lewis began talking to another unsuspecting shopper.

Outside, Frank pulled Callie into his arms and kissed her. "This is fantastic!" he exclaimed, his brown eyes shining. "If they fixed a bathroom for Angelic, they have to have an address."

"Let's go find out what it is," Callie said, grabbing Frank's hand and pulling him toward her car.

"Easy," Frank said, laughing. "Have you checked the time? No one's going to be there." He stopped beside the car, lost in thought. A minute later he looked at Callie. "Let's head over to Phil's."

"Okay," she agreed, climbing in behind the wheel as Frank got in the passenger side. "But why?"

"Maybe Phil can get into the files if they are computerized," he explained. "Or at least, come up with the name of the owner and a phone number."

After waiting fifteen minutes in the Cohen's driveway, Frank was ready to give up. For once, he understood his brother's impatience on stakeouts. Waiting was hell! "Let's swing by Mr. Pizza," he suggested. "We can grab something to eat and see if anyone knows where Phil might be."

"And if no one knows, we'll come back after dinner and wait until he gets home," Callie said, adding on to the plan.

They arrived at Mr. Pizza's to find the place packed. "I'd forgotten it was Friday," Callie said, looking around for an empty table or booth.

"That's understandable," Tony said, coming up to them with a pizza in his hands. "Follow me," he added. Tony led them over to the far side of the room where he set down the pizza at a crowded booth before heading left toward the back of the resteraunt where two tables had been pushed together. At them sat Chet, his date, Helen Mullins, Biff, Phil, and Phil's date, Sandy McGuire.

"Didn't expect to see you here tonight," Chet said as Frank and Callie sat down.

"We ran into Angelic," Callie said, shocking the gathered teens into silence. Tony hung around, ignoring the calls of customers while Callie detailed the encounter.

"Want me to see if I can access the plumbing records and get an address?" Phil inquired.

"Actually, we just came from you place to see if you could do just that," Frank admitted.

"It's no problem," Phil told Frank. "The sooner we get Joe back, the sooner we'll all feel better."

"Yeah, there's no telling what that psycho girl is doing to him," Helen commented.

"At least she won't try and kill him if she doesn't know we have on lead on where she's keeping him," Callie put in quickly for Frank's benefit.

"But there are worse things than dying," Helen stated. Chet closed his eyes. He loved Helen even though tact was a foreign concept to her.

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Joe sat up as Angelic entered the basement. He reached down and grabbed his tee shirt from the floor and slipped it on over his head. Dinner had been over for almost three hours. Angelic had stayed and listened to Joe tell her about the time he and Frank had gone hanggliding in Acapulco. She had listened with rapt attention and Joe had been so grateful for someone to interact with that he had forgotten it was Angelic's plan to get him to open up to her.

Now, he watched her curiously as she unlocked his cage, leaving the keys in their usual spot, and entered. "I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow," Joe said, feeling a bit uncomfortable as she went over to the bed and sat down. Her eyes almost shut, she stared at him through her long lashes as she smiled seductively at him. "Is.." Joe squeaked, then stopped and cleared his throat before continuing. "Is something wrong?"

"It's late," Angelic said. "You should be in bed."

"I'm not sleepy," Joe stated.

"Come on," urged Angelic, getting up and pulling down the spread. She fluffed both pillows and stood waiting.

"I'm..." he paused and swallowed. There was something about her that made him nervous. "I'm not sleepy," he managed to repeat.

Angelic pulled off her shirt, revealing a sexy black lace bra. "What..what are you doing?" demanded Joe over the growing lump in his throat.

"I'm sleeping with you tonight," Angelic informed him calmly.

"NO WAY!" Joe shouted, bug-eyed.

Angelic slid her skirt down and stood looking at Joe wearing nothing but her black lace bra and black lace bikini panties. "The longer it takes you to get into bed," she said, her hands going up to the clasp on the front of her bra, "the more I take off," she ended huskily.


	18. Chapter 18

Joe flew to the bed and dove in, breathing heavily. Angelic dropped her hands and made a face before shrugging her shoulders. "I had to make the rules," she said despairingly. She moved away from the bed, exiting the cage to turn off the light before returning and climbing into bed.

Angelic laid a hand on Joe's chest. He shoved it way and turned his back to her, scooting as far over as he could without falling on the floor. He lay there, stiff, biting his bottom lip to keep from screaming. He felt lost; alone; deserted. He had no one. Frank hated him. His friends hated him. Vanessa probably wanted him dead. And Angelic...No, she didn't hate him. Was he doing the right thing? She did care about him. She had gone to all the trouble of learning everything about him. She tried to please him. More than anyone else ever had. Would treating her nice really be such a bad thing?

Iola! The name shot daggers through his heart. How could he have forgotten what Angelic had tried to do to her? And Frank! Sure, Frank was mad at him, but that was Angelic's fault. Is it? his subconscious asked. Frank believed the lies. Frank believed I tried to take Callie away from him. Not only that! Frank and all his friends believed he was capable of cheating just to make a good grade on one lousy history exam. They should know him better than that! Joe moaned. If Frank really cared about him, how could he have believed Angelic's lies? Perhaps...Angelic was helping him. She had been showing him that he had no true friends.

Everything was so confusing. If only he were tired and could just block out everything. He didn't wnat to think. He didn't want to hurt.

Sensing Joe's distress, Angelic reached out and began massaging his neck. Joe lay still, unsure if he was pleased or upset. She kept up the ministrations, moving down to the top of his shoulder. Joe moaned and turned onto his stomach.

"That's it," Angelic whispered, getting to her knees and applying both hands to Joe's shoulders. "Just relax," she told him, keeping her voice low. "I won't take advantage of you." She paused. "Tonight, anyway," she amended, moving her hands down his back.

She massaged his back, working up and down each side. When she moved to the middle, she spoke again. "If you'll take your shirt off, I'll get some baby oil and then I can really work on those muscles."

Joe thought the proposition over. Honesty, she had promised him. And he had come to believe she meant it. She would leave him alone tonight, he had no doubts on that score. He moved his shoulder. He was starting to feel release form the tension which had turned his muscles into a conglomerate of knots. "Would you please?" Joe asked, lifting his head to look at her in the dim light which shone through the open basement door.

She smiled, nodded, then got out of bed and left the cage, locking it until she returned. While she was gone, Joe went into the bathroom, used it, brushed his teeth and discarded his shirt in the hamper before returning to bed to await Angelic.

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"Well?" demanded Frank, impatiently looking over Phil's shoulder. Except for Tony, who had to remain at Mr. Pizza and work, all the teens had headed over to Phil's. Callie, knowing Vanessa would want to be in on their discovery, had called her and told her to meet them at Phil's. Since the other teens had already eaten, Frank and Callie each took a slice of the other's remaining pizza and ate on the way to Phil's. They had been there less than ten minutes when Vanessa arrived.

"I'm looking," Phil said, trying not to snap. Frank wasn't giving him time. But, he realized, Frank was overwrought and had to be given certain allowances.

Callie filled Vanessa in as Phil moved his fingers across the keyboard. Understandably upset, Vanessa was relieved to know Joe was still alive. She prayed Joe would forgive her for accussing him of betraying her trust, especially when that was exactly what she had done to him.

Phil quit moving his fingers and sat back. "His files aren't computerized," he informed the group. "But I did get a name, address, and phone number of the owner." He hit control print. When the sheet came through, Frank snatched it and pulled out his cell phone.

Everyone remained quiet as Frank waited for his call to be answered. The silence grew more palpable as each ring went unanswered. Finally, Frank disconnected.

"Let's go to his house," Vanessa suggested. "We..we can wait for him to come home if he's gone."

Frank nodded. "I intend too," he said. "But if he doesn't come home, then we still need the stakeout at the produce stand," he added, looking at his friends.

"I'll be there at five thirty in the morning," Biff promised.

"And I'm taking over at ten thirty," Chet put in.

"And if she still hasn't shown, I'll stay from ten thirty until close," Phil assured his friend. "But this is going to work out," he continued, standing up and putting a comforting hand on Frank's shoulder. "Bob Billings will come home, give you the address and then you'll contact the police and Joe will be home before morning."

"No," Frank denied. "Even if we do get the address, we'll have to wait until she leaves Joe alone before we go after him."

"Why?" Vanessa inquired.

"Because if she sees us or the police, she'll know we've come to rescue Joe and..." Frank stopped speaking, the lump in his throat having grown to large.

"Because she would rather see Joe dead than let him go," Chet explained for Frank.

Frank glanced at his watch. "It's two-thirty in the morning," he said, looking over at Vanessa. She had sat in the passenger side of the van all evening without saying anything. Even her answers to questions Frank had asked had been one syllable. "He's not coming home tonight," Frank added, starting the car.

"But he may just be out partying," Vanessa said, reaching over and placing her hand on Frank's to stop him from putting the van into gear. "What if he comes just as soon as we leave?"

"It's late," Frank said gently, aware of how much Vanessa did care about Joe. "There's nothing we can do tonight. I'll take you home and pick you up in the morning. We'll come back then," he promised. "All right?"

Vanessa nodded slowly and put her hand back into her lap. "When?" she asked as Frank put the car in gear and pulled away fromt he curb.

"I'll pick you up at six thirty," Frank answered. "Since he's not at home now, if he does come home, I doubt he'll be awake before seven."

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Joe awoke with a start. The last thing he remembered was Angelic returning, wearing a short, black, nylon nightgown with ruffles and carrying a bottle of baby oil. She had poured some oil on her hands and began massaging his shoulders. He must have fallen asleep soon after that. He had to give her credit, she was good. He had become so relaxed he had forgotten all about where he was and why.

He looked down at the head which lay snuggling in the crook of his arm. He thought briefly about pushing her away; but was it really hurting him to hold her while she slept? After a moment's hesitation, Joe gave a sigh and closed his eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

Frank and Vanessa arrived at the Billings residence at five minutes till seven. Frank doubted anyone was at home because there was still only the company truck parked in the drive but he got out of the van anyway and knocked on the front door. He waited for an answer then knocked again even louder. 

"They aren't there!" shouted a neighbor.

Frank turned to see who had yelled. "Where did they go?" Frank asked, running next door to speak with the man who had stepped out onto his porch in a robe and slippers to retrieve his morning paper.

"Who are you?" the man demanded, narrowing his blue eyes on Frank.

"My name is Frank Hardy," he introduced himself. "I..."

"One of the Hardy boys," the man interrupted, smiling in recognition. "I thought that was you," he added. "I've seen your picture, and your brother's, in the paper a few times."

"Do you know where Mr. Billings went?" asked Frank.

"Vacation," was the answer. Frank looked crestfallen. "He and Ethel left yesterday afternoon."

"Do you know where they went?" Frank asked hopefully.

"Fishing," the neighbor replied, killing Frank's hope of finding the man. "Asked me to check their mail every day until they get back."

"When will that be?"

"Two weeks," was the devastating reply.

"Do you..do you know where they were going to set up camp?"

"Sorry," the man answered with a shake of his head. "They were planning on going south. He wanted to hit the plentiful streams of the Appalachia."

"Thanks," Frank croaked then returned to where Vanessa stood by the vehicle, waiting.

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The next time Joe awoke he found Angelic leaning on one elbow watching him. Joe blushed and started to move away but she put her hand on his cheek and he remained still.

"Good morning," she whispered, her voice deep with emotion.

"Morning," Joe mumbled, trying to remain neutral even as his blue eyes locked with her green ones.

Angelic kept her hand on Joe's cheek, letting her thumb stroke his chin. "I love you," she told him. Joe remained silent. He no longer thought of her as super-evil and, he had to admit, he was growing to trust her...to a point. He had no doubt she would kill anyone who hurt him or tried to come between them, nor did he doubt she would kill him before letting him go. But he also believed she would be kind and loving and not hurt him under any other circumstances.

Was he forming a bond with her? He knew that some victims became so dependant on their captors that they actually cared about them. Was this what was happening to him? He was physically dependant on her. Was he also growing emotionally dependant on her? If he had subcummbed to the captor-victim syndrome, would he be having these thoughts? Of course not. But that would mean he was growing to like her, wouldn't it? Help me! Joe's mind begged.

Angelic lifted her hand and let her fingers trace invisible lines down Joe's throat and onto his chest, slowly circling his navel. Joe remained absolutely still. The only evidence she was having any effect on him was his change in breathing.

Her hand slid down to the waist of Joe's kilt and his reaction was immediate. "No," he said firmly, grasping her hand and holding it tight.

Angelic smiled and pulled away, sitting up as Joe released her. "I'll fix breakfast," she said, getting off the bed. She exited the cage, locking Joe inside. On her way out of the basement she flipped the CD player on.

Joe groaned when the first lines of Take a Chance On Me began to play.

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Frank dropped Vanessa off at Phil's where she had left her car the night before. Not wanting to wake Phil or his family, he headed home. As he sat at the stop light three blocks from his home he gripped the steering wheel. Helen's words from the previous evening haunted him. "There are worse things than dying."

What was she doing to Joe? Obviously she had him tied up or else she wouldn't have left him. No...chained, maybe. Frank was sure had he only been bound with rope, Joe would have managed to escape by now. Or maybe she kept him drugged?

Would she torture him? Remind him of how all his friends, how his own brother, had been so easily turned against him? Frank closed his eyes at the thought, opening them only when a car horn sounded loudly behind him. The light green, Frank continued on his way.

She thinks she loves him, Frank reminded himself. She won't hurt him unless she thinks we're getting too close. Or unless Joe tries to escape! Had Joe tried to esacpe? Was he dead? Had she returned home the previous night to find Joe almost free? Frank slammed his hand on the steering wheel hard. He shouldn't have jumped her in the parking lot. He should have followed her. If only he hadn't been so consummed with worry he would have been thinking straight. But where Joe was involved, his logic generally flew out the window, and like Joe, acted on his emotions. Frank smiled a bit at that. He and Joe may seem different to the casual passer by but they were so much alike. It was times like this when the similarities were more noticeable.

Frank pulled into the driveway and parked the van. He crossed his arms on the wheel and laid his head down. He had to find Joe. This seemed worse than any other time Joe had been kidnapped and he knew why. Every other time, there had always been the promise of Joe being returned, either if money were given or something was done. This time, the only promise was of Joe's death if contact was attempted.

Frank jerked up as a sharp rap sounded beside him. "Dad," he said, opening the door and getting out.

Fenton pulled his distraught son into his arms and hugged him. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried how Frank was holding up. He knew how much his sons depended on each other.

"I'm fine," Frank said, pulling back. "You got here fast."

"It pays to have connections," Fenton said, leading Frank into the house.

"Honey," Laura came running as the two entered the foyer. Frank gave her a hug before the three of them went intot he living room and sat down.

"Okay, Frank, tell us everything," Fenton ordered, leaning forward in his seat and giving his son his absolute attention.

"Did Phil check for a permit?" Laura asked when Frank finished.

"Permit?" queried Frank as he and his father looked at her questioningly.

"When structural work is done, a permit has to be obtained," Laura explained. "If Angelic had major renovations done, like adding a bathroom, then Mr. Billings couldn't legally have done her work unless she supplied a permit."

"How do you know that?" Fenton inquired, looking at his wife curiously. After twenty years of marriage, she still surprised him.

"I was working as a secretary in a law office when I met you," she reminded him. "The issue was raised in one of the cases."

Frank jumped to his feet. "I'll call Phil now!"

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When Angelic returned she shut off the CD player. "Could I please ask a favor?" Joe inquired as she unlocked the cage.

"What?" Angelic asked, looking at Joe suspiciously.

"I know the reason you keep playing that same song over and over. It kind of fits," he admitted. "But if you have to make me listen to it couldn't you at least let me hear the other songs on the CD as well?"

"I'll think about it," Angelic promised. "I brought orange-banana crepes for breakfast. It's my own recipe. I hope you like them," she added a bit shyly.

"Smells good," Joe said, taking the tray from her and setting it down on the small table. Joe had remained in bed until he heard Angelic returning so he still wore nothing but his kilt. His back glistened from the baby oil she had used and she licked her lips as he removed the cover from the tray and took a deep breath of the citrusy aroma.

Joe held out a plate to Angelic. She took it and sat down on the bed next to him. By the time she finished her first crepe, Joe had devoured both of his and was eyeing Angelic's greedily. She laughed lightly and passed her plate to Joe. "I take it you like them?" she asked as Joe dug in.

Joe swallowed and nodded. "These are the best! I wish mom knew how to make them."

Angelic's face hardened. "Does it matter?" she inquired stiffly. "I'll make them for you at least three times a week," she promised.

Joe looked at her. "Thank you," he said, smiling. "I just meant..."

"It doesn't matter," she said, standing up and forcing a smile onto her face. "I realize you still haven't come to terms with our future. But..." she took a calming breath and her faux smile became genuine. "You will. I love you and no one is ever going to take you away from me."


	20. Chapter 20

Frank snared the phone on the first ring. "Angelic bought the old Sayer mansion," Phil informed Frank, his voice excited. "It's the perfect place. Didn't you say it had a dungeon?" 

"Yes," Frank replied, gripping the phone tightly.

"I'll call the gang together and we'll meet at your place in an hour," Phil suggested.

"No," Frank turned down Phil's offer. "If she sees any one of us, she'll kill Joe."

"Then what are you going to do?" Phil inquired.

"I'm not sure," Frank admitted. "But dad's home. We'll come up with something."

"Okay. I'll let Biff and Chet know we've found her and stop the stake out. Keep in touch?"

"Thanks. I will," Frank promised before hanging up. He told his father where Angelic was holding Joe.

"I'll call Ezra," Fenton said, standing up.

"You can't!" Frank shouted in alarm.

"Take it easy," Fenton ordered. "I'll have him come over here and we'll discuss what we should do."

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"Frank's right," Chief Collig said almost an hour later. He had come right over after receiving Fenton's phone call and listened to a recount of the past two days."The only sure way to get Joe back safely is to set up a stake out and wait until she leaves, then go in and find him."

Fenton frowned. "That could take days," he pointed out, running a hand through his hair then letting it rest at the back of his neck briefly while he looked first at Ezra then at Frank who locked gazes with him. "All right," Fenton finally agreed. He didn't want to take a chance on Joe getting hurt either. "But as soon as she leaves the premises, we move in and find him before she has time to return."

"Of course," Ezra agreed. "I'll get blueprints of the place and meet you in my office in one hour?"

"I'm going on out," Frank said. "If she leaves before you get there, I'll give you a call."

"Don't go in alone," Fenton ordered. "Unless we find Joe while she is gone, we can't touch her. We might never find him."

Frank nodded then went outside and got on his motorcycle. It would be easier to hide than the van or a car. Frank came to a stop not far from the estate's manor and pulled his motorcycle off the road and hid it behind a clump of bushes. He had been there for close to two hours when he spotted an unmarked car pull off the road not far from where he sat perched in a tree watching the manor. He climbed down and headed over as another unmarked car arrived on the scene.

"Dad?" Frank asked, coming over. "Did you get the blueprints?"

Fenton nodded. "Ezra had them waiting when I arrived at his office." He frowned, shaking his head. "There are so many passages in that place it could take a long time to search them all."

"Then why didn't the Chief order more men out here?" demanded Frank.

"Because we don't know if she will even leave him alone today," Fenton explained calmly. "These are all the men he could spare for the stake out and some of them were supposed to be off duty today."

Frank looked at the seven officers who had gotten out of the two vehicles. "Less cars means there is less chance of being spotted," Fenton answered Frank's unspoken question.

"Movement, Sir," said one of the officers who had a pair of binoculars trained on the front entrance to the manor.

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After Joe had finished his breakfast, Angelic took the dishes and exited the cage, relocking it. She paused by the CD player and thoughtfully looked back at Joe who had stood up and stretched before heading into the bathroom. He hadn't even looked her way after she locked him in. Had he accepted the fact that he could not escape? It seemed so. Should he be rewarded for that?

"Definitely," she said softly, smiling. She turned on the player, setting it to repeat the entire CD instead of just the one song before taking the tray laden with dishes and heading out of the basement and to the kitchen.

As Angelic washed the dishes, she gazed outside and thought how lovely everything looked. If only she could take Joe outside for a walk with her. But that was impossible. "Hmm..." she said thoughtfully as she finished the dishes. She went upstairs to change clothes. When she returned, she opened the front door and went outside.

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"What's going on?" Fenton demanded.

"She's on the porch," the officer informed the Hardys. "Doesn't look like she's leaving though. She's headed for the trees, not her car." He continued to observe her, following her movements by swinging the binoculars in her direction. "She's picking flowers," the officer added, lowering the binoculars.

Frank took the binoculars and spotted Angelic, her hands filled with a variety of flowers. His face turned white. "Oh God!" he moaned, sick.

"What's wrong?" Fenton demanded at once.

"She just saw my bike."


	21. Chapter 21

"Ah, hell!" Fenton groaned, looking over at the officer. "Move in!" he ordered. 

Everyone took off at a run with the officer in charge using his talkie attached to his shoulder to radio in to headquarters.

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Joe stepped out of the bathroom in a solid red velvet kilt, he hadn't put his shirt on yet, and stopped in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon," he said, smiling at her with a curious expression.

"I brought you some flowers," Angelic said, holding out her left hand. Joe stepped forward and took the vase from her hand. He took a sniff.

"Thank you," he said. He kept his smile on but he felt a nervous jolt race through him. Something was amiss. She seemed anxious.

"Joe, I love you," Angelic said. "I'll always love you."

"I know," Joe said sadly. "Honestly, I wish I did love you. You've been nicer to me in some ways than anyone ever has."

"Really?" she breathed, looking up into his eyes as he set the vase down and stepped nearer to her.

"Really," Joe said softly, looking down into her emerald eyes.

Angelic leaned forward and up, putting her lips to his. She started tentatively but Joe deepened the kiss, locking his arm around her and holding her close. All too soon, according to Angelic, he pulled back.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Joe apologized, his breathing ragged. "I didn't mean to do that. It was a mistake."

"Shh," she whispered, touching his cheek with her left hand. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," Joe insisted. "I don't love you. I should never..."

Whatever Joe had been about to say was lost as the basement door crashed open. Instinctively, Joe protectively pushed Angelic behind him.

"Dad!" Joe shouted in surprise, his eyes opening wide. "How...oof.." he broke off as a knife entered his back and the tip exited just above his stomach.

"NO!" bellowed Frank, rushing past his father and Officer Marsdale and into the cage as Angelic pulled the knife from Joe and readied it again for another plunge.

"You will never take him away from me!" Angelic shouted at Frank and the others as she put the knife to Joe's back.

Frank grabbed her arm before it could enter Joe's flesh a second time. Clutching the bleeding wound above his stomach, Joe fell to his knees gasping in pain. He looked at Angelic and Frank who had made a fist and was getting ready to strike Angelic. "No!" Joe gasped, his voice growing hoarse. "Don't...don't hurt her," he begged before he fell forward and darkness consumed him.


	22. Chapter 22

Unable to go against what might be Joe's last request, Frank dropped his fist. He shoved Angelic away from him and into the concrete wall. Falling down to his knees beside his brother, he pulled the sheet from the bed and pushed it onto his brother, trying to stop the bleeding as his dad snatched the keys from near the basement door and removed the leg irons form Joe's ankles. One of the officers radioed for an ambulance as two more men took charge of Angelic. 

"Get away from him!" Angelic screamed, struggling to break free from the two officers that were trying to hustle her from the cage.

Ignoring her, Frank kept applying pressure to his brother. "Come on, Joe. Open your eyes," Frank begged, his voice heavy with emotion. But Joe's eyes remained closed as Angelic was dragged out of the basement.

An ambulance arrived a few minutes later and placed Joe on the stretcher. "Sir," Officer Marsdale said to Fenton. "I will drive you and Frank to the hospital. The other men will deal with Angelic and maintain the crime scene."

On the way to the hospital, Frank pulled out his cell phone and called Callie. He told her what had happened. "Would you pick mom and Vanessa up and meet us at the hospital?" he asked.

"Of course," Callie said at once. "Frank," she added softly before she hung up. "Joe's a fighter. He'll make it."

Four hours later, Dr. Melvin Shauster, a man of average build and height, entered the crowded emergency waiting room. "How is he?" Frank demanded, rushing over to the doctor.

"He's stable," Dr. Shauster answered. "But he's still unconscious."

"Why?" Frank asked. "He was stabbed. She didn't hit him in the head. What made him lose consciousness?"

"There is a bruise on the side of his head," the doctor said. "He must have hit his head when he fell. He does have a concussion and, quiet frankly, that is giving us more cause for concern than the stab wound."

"Why is that?" Fenton asked.

"The puncture was clean and straight," Dr. Shauster "No vital organs were injured and the application of pressure to the wound almost as soon as it happened kept the blood loss down. He will heal with only a scar left to show he was ever injured there. As for the concussion, whenever there is a head wound that results in loss of consciousness, there is cause for concern. The fact that Joe hasn't regained consciousness doesn't reflect positively. You said he fell? What could he have hit as he fell?"

"The bed," Frank guessed, frowning. "But it was probably the floor. It was concrete."

The doctor nodded. "That is a distinct possiblility."

"Can we see him?" Laura asked.

"Of course. But only one person at a time and only the immediate family. He's in room four ten," Dr. Shauser informed them.

"Van...you go and see Joe first," Frank said. "I'll be last because I'm not leaving here without him."

"Only family members..." the doctor began but Frank interrupted him.

"Vanessa is my sister," Frank lied. He knew how much Vanessa loved Joe. She deserved to see him.

"Run along, Vanessa," Fenton told her, giving her a wan smile.

"Thank you," she whispered, fresh tears on her cheeks as she hurried to the elevator.

Hours after the others had left, Frank fell asleep in the chair by Joe's bed. When Joe stirred, Frank was instantly awake. "That's it, baby brother," Frank said softly, brushing hair away from Joe's forehead. "It's time to wake up."

Joe moaned and his eyes flittered open. "Angelic," he rasped, his throat dry.

"She's in jail," Frank told him. "They are going to transport her to the Grandhurst Hospital for the Mentally Incompetent in the morning. She...she killed someone. The police found a body under a mound of dirt in the back yard."

"NO!" Joe said, his eyes going wide as he tried to sit up.

"Stay down," Frank ordered in alarm, holding Joe's shoulders down. "The police identified him as a local thug. She won't do time because she's crazy, but she will be locked up and will never get near you again."

"Of course not," Joe said bitterly, looking into Frank's eyes accussingly. "You just don't want me to be happy."

"Joe?" Frank asked stunned. What had come over him?

"Go away," Joe said wearily, closing his eyes.

"I'm not leaving you," Frank told him, his voice firm. "Not until you're better."

Joe opened his eyes again. They were cold and hard as they looked into Frank's. "I hate you," he said, but instead of anger, his voice was devoid of emotion.

Frank's face drained of color. "You..you don't mean that," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"You're right," Joe responded. Frank relaxed, briefly. "I don't care about you at all."

"What's wrong with you?" demanded Frank. "What did she do to you?"

"She didn't do anything to me," Joe replied. "She loves me. She really loves me. Which is more than can be said for my so-called friends and brother."

"That's not true!" insisted Frank. "I love you very much. How could you not know that?"

"Excuse me?" scoffed Joe. "Weren't you the one who said I had no feelings; no loyalty? You turned on me."

"I'm so sorry," apologized Frank, tears springing to his eyes. "I do love you. I just..."

"If you love me then leave me alone," Joe ground out. "Leave me and Angelic alone."

"Never!" Frank declared. "Joe, she tried to kill you. Again! Can't you see? She's dangerous. That isn't love."

"Frank..."

"No! Don't interrupt me!" shouted Frank, trying hard to make him see he had been brainwashed.

"Frank..." Joe's voice was louder.

"I said don't..." Frank's eyes snapped open to see Joe in a sitting position on the bed looking at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" Joe asked.

"Am I okay? Are you okay? God, Joe!" Frank shouted, jumping from his chair and throwing himself at Joe. He hugged Joe as tight as he dared. "You had me scared to death. How are you feeling?"

"Very sore," replied Joe. "And a little thirsty."

Frank hit the call button for the nurse. "Joe's awake," he said. "He's thirsty."

"Going to make sure it's okay to give me water," Joe observed with an affectionate smile.

Frank smiled back. "About Thursday..this whole week...I'm sorry," Frank began but Joe cut him off.

"Don't," Joe said. "Angelic orchestrated the whole thing."

"But I should never have believed it or said what I did," Frank apologized anyway. "You're the most loyal, caring person I know. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Joe told him. "I've said things I didn't mean too. It's that all heat of the moment thing." Joe paused for a minute, not wanting to upset Frank. But, he had to know... "You, uh..didn't hit Angelic, did you?"

"No," Frank answered and saw the look of relief on Joe's face. "Joe, she stabbed you. How can you want to protect her?"

"I'm not sure I can explain it," Joe admitted. "But to have someone care about me so much..to put me above everyone and everything...it was kind of heady. She never would have hurt me unless I tried to leave or someone tried to take me away from her. She would have kept me in the basement forever, tending to my every need; pampering me."

"She's being taken to a medical facility in the morning," Frank told Joe after he had quit speaking. he had no idea how to respond to Joe's comment.

"She killed someone," Joe said.

"They found the body," Frank informed Joe. "She is dangerous. And not just to you."

"I know she needs help," acknowledged Joe. "But I just couldn't let you hurt her."

The doctor on call entered the room at this point. While he examined Joe, Frank went to call his parents. He also called Vanessa to let her know Joe was awake and could be seen the next day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four days later, Joe was released from the hospital. He arrived home to find his family and friends had thrown him a welcome back party. During his hospital stay, his friends had dropped in for frequent visits to apologize and wish him a speedy recovery and all animosity had been laid to rest.

Joe was ushered to the living room sofa. Frank propped his legs up as Vanessa took a seat on the floor beside him. Fenton picked up the stack of mail that was lying on the coffee table in front of him and handed it to Joe. "These came for you in this morning's mail," Fenton informed his youngest son.

Joe glanced at the return addresses, intending to see who were they were from and then put them aside until later but one of the envelopes piqued his curiosity. It had no return address. Joe opened it. "It's from Angelic," he said as everyone watched him.

Frank snatched it from Joe's hands. "How could they let her send him a letter?" he demanded.

"What does it say?" Laura asked.

Frank looked at the letter and frowned. He looked at Joe curiously. "It's a recipe," he said. "What makes you think it's from Angelic? There's no name and it's typed."

"It's for Orange-Banana Crepes," Joe said. "She made them for me and I said I wished mom had the recipe."

"She's never going to give up on Joe, is she?" Chet asked, looking at Frank.

"Maybe not," Frank replied, tearing the recipe into tiny pieces. "But she's never going to win either."

End


End file.
